Runners High
by Keiko C. Crawford
Summary: Yuugi says everything is back to normal...until out of the blue his mom hires a strange housekeeper,Kaiba starts a tournament,another strange girl comes in,and every boy falls for one girl or the other! R for language, violence and content. R&R please!
1. Default Chapter

FW: Hello all! I am the female writer, and this is my counter part, the male writer.  
  
MW: Hello.  
  
FW: We'll be popping up in the story at random moments to give our opinions or hints, or just point out the obvious…don't worry we won't get in the way…because we are constantly….chibi…or super deformed whateva you wanna call it.  
  
MW: So we don't get in your way…  
  
FW: Now for my first story, Runners High! Yes, I did get the title from a song by the pillows of FLCL fame…but the theme is a song you might have all heard at least once, Fell in Love with a Girl by the white stripes! Enjoy!   
  
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~Fell in love with a girl~ ~fell in love once and almost completely~ ~she's in love with the world~ ~but sometimes these feelings~ ~can be so misleading~  
  
Seto Kaiba is looking outside of his window, remembering days long past, when he had a special friend, the one just for him. He sighs and turns back to his work, reminding himself how foolish it is to remind oneself of the past… ~she turns and says "are you alright?"~ ~I said "I must be fine cause my heart's still beating"~ ~She says "come and kiss me by the riverside, bobby says it's fine he don't consider it cheating"~  
  
But something in his mind says not to let it go…something says to just sit back and remember the good days…  
  
~Red hair with a curl~  
  
Inside of his memory, a young girl of about eight, with somewhat long, curly blonde hair, and pretty blue green eyes bounces up and down on a trampoline. ~mellow roll for the flavor~  
  
She jumps off, taking Seto down with her, as the two young children begin rolling down the hill, holding on to each other and laughing ~and the eyes for peeping~  
  
The young girls eyes fill with tears because she scraped her knee. The young Seto patches it up and tells her not to cry "Eyes like that should never fill with tears of sadness." ~can't keep away from the girl~  
  
The young girl and Seto tie one leg to the other's leg, in order for their parents not to separate them ~these two sides of my brain~ ~need to have a meeting~  
  
Gozaburo grabs Seto out of the binds and carries him over his shoulder ~can't think of anything to do~  
  
Seto kicks his stepfather, causing Gozaburo to slap him upside the head ~my left brain knows that~ ~all love is fleeting~  
  
Seto shakes his head, saying she'll never come back, it's been six years already… ~she's just looking for something new~  
  
She is probably with someone else wherever she is ~and I said it once before~  
  
But maybe she will, she never broke a promise…. ~but it bears repeating~  
  
She will, she will, she has to…otherwise her pretty ring will go to waste…. 


	2. Fell in Love With a Girl

Female Writer: Hello no da! Welcome to my fic!   
  
Male Writer: I have a part to ya know!  
  
FW: ^^; Gomene  
  
MW: No prob…..We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh and hold full responsibility for this fic  
  
FW: So mature  
  
MW: If I wasn't here there would be lawyers following you day and night.  
  
FW: ON with the story!  
  
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We open with a view of the sky. A bright azure blue with fluffy white clouds drift by lazily. We see Yuugi laying on his back, staring at the clouds watching them float by…  
  
Yuugi: *Narrates as an over voice* "Nothing interesting ever happens here. Ever since the conclusion of Battle City, all the insane people and troublemakers just plain dissipated from all view. Yes now I know my life will "normal…." he says as Yami stares into space "but then again, what is "normal". As I see it, "normal" is something, no human could possibly or achieve, because everyone, has quirks. I have my other side, mou hitori no boku as I call him. Well, he is an ancient spirit of an Egyptian pharaoh, from 3000 years ago. And he used to go around playing penalty games, I.e. setting people on fire, making them hallucinate….it wasn't pretty, but I think I found his sanity…somewhere. Then there is Anzu. She looks "normal", a decent, rule obeying teen girl with high marks. She is decent and gets high marks, but she quite follow the rules. She works at Burger World after school, so go to New York to be a dancer after graduation. Then there is Jounchi….I won't even start him or Honda…if those two had had half a brain, Honda would swept Shizuka off her feet, and Mai-san would have fallen for Jounchi by now. Maybe even Kaiba-kun would slightly consider Jounchi as a higher level than 2 as a duelist. Oh I almost forgot Kaiba-kun! Well, to start off…Kaiba shoved his step-father out the executive floor window of Kaiba Corporation, when he got pushed to far, not that Gozaburo didn't deserve it. He is as cold as ice, and twice as ruthless, especially if screw around with his little brother. Looking at those two, you can not tell how close they actually are. Makes me smile. But like I said, nothing new since Battle City, in fact I dread school, or rather Jounchi more then me, because Kaiba-kun decides to come more often. So for a few months…everything was "normal"…until we got a new housekeeper…." Yuugi stops because he hears a familiar sound, the sound of a Vespa scooter, outfitted with something to make it go very fast, because it is causing a large cloud of dust in it's rider's wake. Yuugi and Yami peer over the roof to see who she is.  
  
"It's so nice to meet you! I will finally have someone to help me around the house." said a jubilant Ms. Motou  
  
"Yes, I'm getting on in my years, and I limited to running the shop and sweeping. But you like good help. My I ask your name?" asked Jii-chan  
  
The tall girl takes off helmet, revealing, long dark blonde hair, lifts her goggles, revealing sparkly blue green eyes. She is about 5'5, in low black pants and a short red tank top, very slender, with long legs and bust to match, making Jii-chan all the happier. (a/n MW: *giggles* FW: *hits w/ mallet* Down boy) My name Kasumi Motou, no relation she says with a bright smile  
  
Yuugi and Yami's mouths drop to the floor.  
  
"Damn she's hot…." replies a stunned Yuugi, receiving a quick tap on the head from Yami.  
  
"Easy aibou, older women are dangerous…trust me." says Yami as he follows his other side down the sairs to meet the housekeeper  
  
"Who is this?" Kasumi asks, eyeing Yuugi's puzzle around his neck  
  
"I am Yuugi Motou…" the small boy replies, having to look up in order to not be looking right into her robust chest.  
  
Kasumi's eyes begin to sparkle with joy.  
  
"THE YUUGI MOTOU?!!!! She hugs him close to her breasts. I've heard all about you! She begins to shake him from side to side as she hugs him close. "You won Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, defeated Seto Kaiba and Pegasus J. Crawford AND became the King of games!"  
  
As his nose begins to bleed from being in her chest for so long he replies with a small and squeaky "Don't mention it…."  
  
"Yuugi-kun, is your nose bleeding?" asked his mother gently and curiously.  
  
"Uhh…" Is all he can muster while trying to hide his face "No"  
  
Yami sweat drops at the boyish stupidity of his other side "Oy…"  
  
"Shouldn't you be going to school Yuugi-chan?" Kasumi asks as she flutters her eyelashes.  
  
"Oh uh yeah!" replies Yuugi and he cleans off the blood with a napkin.  
  
"Do you need a ride?"  
  
"Umm...sure why not" Yuugi replies nervously as he gets on the back of her Vespa.  
  
"Hang on! This'll be fun!" Kasumi says while giving off an innocent, yet somehow evil giggle  
  
"Aibou….I am not going to like this…" says Yami as he transparently seats himself next to Yuugi.  
  
Kasumi revs the scooter, and takes off at full speed, pulling insane and dangerous tricks, with Yuugi hanging on for dear life and Yami yelling various swears Yuugi failed to hear or understand.  
  
"YAMATO!!!!!!" was the desperate cry from Yuugi, as anime tears stream from his eyes.  
  
"You should have walked aibou!!!"  
  
"Gomene Gomene!"  
  
"Something wrong?" asks Kasumi, not knowing that her clients son is hanging on for his life on the back of her scooter.  
  
"STOP!!!!"  
  
"HEY WATCH OUT!!!!!" Kasumi says, hitting the brakes, causing poor Yuugi to go off flying, right into Seto Kaiba.  
  
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"  
  
Nani? Seto asks to himself as he turns and sees Yuugi coming at him full speed. "Kuso" The two boys collide head on and are sent flying back.   
  
"What the hell was that?!"  
  
"Domino High your stop Yuugi-chan!"  
  
  
  
Yami gets off the bike and walks over to his other side, sitting next to him.  
  
"Ari-gatou" is all Yuugi can muster, as he passes out with small X's for eyes   
  
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" asks an infuriated Seto, trying to stop his nose from bleeding from the impact  
  
"And who are you? No matter….I think I'll call you Ta-kun….you like a Ta-kun." replies Kasumi as she looks at him with a curious look.  
  
"My name is NOT Ta-kun!!! That's a cat name!" (*Writers hold up small Seto kitty picture*) "My name is-" But he is cut off by the sound of an engine revving.  
  
"Ja Yuugi-chan! Ja TA-KUN!!!!" she says taking off again, pulling insane tricks.  
  
Seto begins to growls with anime vein. "Who is that insane excuse for a woman?"  
  
"My housekeeper."  
  
"Nani?!"  
  
"Jii-chan's getting old, so we hired her….her name is Kasumi."  
  
"Hoy!! Yuugi, who was that hot babe that just rode off?" asked a desperate-for-a-date Jounouchi  
  
"Yeah, we wanna get to know her." Honda added, nudging Yuugi  
  
"Feh, don't even bother trying, she is out of your leagues." scoffed Seto  
  
"What was that?!"  
  
"You heard me masu-inu (pathetic dog)"  
  
"Why you little son of a-" Jounouchi yells as he struggles against Ryou's and Honda's grip.  
  
"Please, Jounouch-kun!"  
  
"Calm down!" begged Honda  
  
Yuugi appears with a big bandage on his forehead and says "Let's get to class to meet Anzu, before she leaves for class without us…"  
  
Jounouchi tugs his uniform shirt straight. "Yeah, let's"  
  
Honda sighs "To close…"  
  
Jounouchi turns back, before heading in the door and says to Seto "Oh and Kaiba-kun, your nose is bleeding…she alittle to out of your le-" His face soon makes impact with Seto's briefcase.  
  
"That is from her causing Yuugi to fly into me, nothing else." he says, walking off.  
  
*In class*  
  
"So you say she is insane?" inquires Anzu about Kasumi  
  
Yuugi is still the wearing bandage. "Pretty close to it…"  
  
"But pretty damn hot!" adds Honda grinning  
  
Jounouchi begins to drool. "Her in a Domino High uniform…."  
  
Seto comes in with little anime bandage across his nose, and most of the girls get little cat faces and quietly squeal about how cute he looks. (FW: EEE!!! HE LOOKS SO KAW*hit by MW)  
  
Jounouchi….  
  
Jounouchi is still lost in his own fantasy and dreamily says "Hai?"  
  
"Take a cold shower…" Seto scoffs as he sits.  
  
Yuugi: *as an over voice again, as the group tries to stop the two from fighting* "So you see, until she came along, things weren't as crazy…it's been just a few hours already and she almost gave me a concussion, has Honda and Jounouchi under her thumb, and teases Kaiba-kun without fear, like she has known him for years…oh well, guess she's not so bad…I mean, she did injure Kaiba-kun, and got Honda off daydreams of Shizuka, so both should make Jounouchi kinda happy, and well, she may get along with Anzu, but I think I'll wait awhile before I introduce the two…"  
  
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Mina Konichiwaa! Kasumi here! Well, in the next episode, I drive poor Ta-kun crazy…*we see clips go by as she explains* He thinks he can escape me after a long day of school and work, when after taking his shower, he comes down stairs and guess who??!! Stay tuned for the next episode of Runners High!  
  
Outtake:  
  
Yuugi: *says to Yami* Damn she's hot….  
  
Yami: Easy aibou, older women are dangerous…trust me…aibou? *Yuugi is gone* AIBOU?  
  
Yuugi: *nuzzling Kasumi's leg*  
  
Yami: *face vaults* baka no aibou! 


	3. Crazy Sunshine

FW: Mina Konichiwaa! How are we today? Have we all had our doses of insanity for today? Yes no maybe so? Are you starting to think we have lost or minds?  
  
MW: Well if your saying she has lost it, you'd be right…  
  
FW: *spins around* Lalalalalalaalalala! *sets couch on fire*  
  
Mw: We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, so blah on you and lets move on before she sets fire to the whole place *goes around with a fire extinguisher*  
  
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We see Kaiba Mansion in the setting sun, and a deep blue convertible pulls up to the long driveway and parks in a large garage. We see Seto get out and go inside the back way. He tosses his keys on a table and hangs up his coat on a rack. He wearily heads down a hall, grabbing a towel on his way there  
  
"God damn that insane house keeper…first she causes a head on collision with Yuugi and myself, then she calls me by that insane nickname, and after school she crashed right into me to avoid a damn pink cat! We see Kasumi riding scooter, and yelling "Outta my way!!!" and sliding in order to avoid a cat. The scooter lands upright some feet away, but she flies right into Seto, giving him his second nosebleed of the day, and as he claims "Because he got hit very hard" "And then she goes and worries about a baka neko!" He sighs. "Why can't I stop thinking about her? He steps into large bathroom and turns on shower, taking off his shirt. "Maybe I should follow my own advice…he tells himself as he steps into the shower (FW: EEEE!!! LEMME SEE LEMME SEE!!!!!! MW: This is why I hate rabid fan girls…*ties her up and sits on her*)  
  
*At the Motou residence*  
  
"Where is Kasumi-tachi?" asks a curious Yuugi, worried about what may happen if his insane housekepper is out this late.  
  
"She went off, apparently I have fans of my cooking, maybe we should open up a restaurant on the side to keep us going…" replied his mother, as she was cleaning dishes  
  
"Un! That sounds good!" replied Yuugi, who knew many school mates who had loved his mother's cooking when they were over for projects.  
  
*Back at the mansion*  
  
Seto is walking down the hall, in pajama bottoms, no shirt, gently drying his hair with a towel. He yells out to his maid.  
  
"Obaba! What is for dinner?"  
  
"Jii-chan had to leave so I ordered out, I don't cook less and you know it…" replied what sounded like a somewhat tired fifty something woman.  
  
"Nii-sama hurry before it gets cold!" cried Mokuba, wanting to hug his brother after a long day.  
  
Seto laughs slightly. "Alright, alright I am coming Mokuba…he laughs as he slides open door to kitchen and sees Kasumi sitting at the table tuning her electric guitar she always carries  
  
"Konichiwaa Ta-kun!" she says while munching on some ramen.  
  
Seto's towel is hanging on head as he points with confused/stunned look on his face. "Na-na--NANI?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE??!!!"  
  
Kasumi points to Obaba. "Ask her, she let me stay.."  
  
Obaba sipps her tea. "It is dark outside, it is no time for a young girl to be out."  
  
"See? I was being polite so nyah!" she replies, throwing in an anime taunt, dragging her eyelid down and sticking out her tounge.  
  
Seto growls and sits down to eat. After the family finishes dinner Mokuba goes to do homework and Obaba to clean. Seto looks at Kasumi when…  
  
"Tired!" Kasumi says, as she falls into Seto's lap with a kitty face. "Ta-kun your so warm…" she says nuzzling his leg.  
  
Seto begins to blush heavily…for him anyway. "What are you doing?"  
  
A pair of cat ears and a tail appear on Kasumi. "Meow…your so nice Ta-kun!"  
  
Seto begins to stutter. "Uhh…I umm…err…well…"  
  
"Ta-kun?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Kasumi grabs his bowl of rice and devours it in one gulp. "Ah….that was good." She sits up and her and Seto are face to face. He slightly blushes as does she.  
  
"I, well, I um…your…kinda…um…" Seto says very quietly "cute…."  
  
"Ta-kun…." The two are about to kiss when a small pink cat with golden eyes pops out of Kasumi's shirt and meows.   
  
"Haruko-chan! There you are!" Kasumi cries out, nuzzling her cat  
  
Seto sweat drops. "Uh, isn't that the cat you almost ran over?"  
  
"Key word: ALMOST"  
  
"Are you going to leave or do I have to escort you out?" asks a past annoyed Seto.  
  
"Pretty tough words for a guy who was just gonna kiss me…" Kasumi says innocently  
  
Seto gets a nervous look. "I was caught up…."  
  
Kasumi stands up, with Haruko in her arms. "I can see my way out Ta-kun, Ja…"  
  
Seto sighs yet again. "When am I going to be rid of that insane woman?"  
  
The next few days go by, without trouble…even though Kasumi now works at the game shop as a delivery girl, for Yuugi's mother's cooking, and ever since Jii-chan opened a newsstand at the game shop, business has never been better, in fact, the Motou's even added on to their home. So now of course, Seto sees Kasumi just about everywhere he goes, she even haunts his office until he gets there because she delivers the Kaiba Corporation's newspapers and such. We finally see Seto relaxing in his home, undisturbed, as he goes through some papers, one just happens to catch his eye  
  
"Hmm? What is this? Industrial Illusions? But….Pegasus…Seto slowly opens letter and reads it's contents.  
  
"Seto-sama:  
  
We are welcoming your business partnership. With Mr. Crawford's unavailability, we are in need of financial aid. We are willing to give you fifty percent of the company stocks reserved for executives, and since now we the executives are running this corporation, we have taken a hold of Mr. Crawford's stocks and split them evenly. We are prepared to offer what you wish, even partial ownership of the company.  
  
Signed:  
  
Touyaida, Hikadu  
  
FEO, Industrial Illusions"  
  
*a/n FEO is abbreviation for Financial Executive Officer*  
  
"Hmm, they must be pretty damn desperate for my help…Good thing my schedule is clear tomorrow at eleven, this is going to be a very long and trying meeting." He opens his bureau drawer and inside, he hand lands on something strange, and small rectangular object. Seto takes it out and studies it, looking it over with intrigue.  
  
"A…music box?" When he opens it up, the tune plays, and we see a picture of a younger Seto, with a small girl with long blonde hair and blue green eyes. Beside the picture are two rings, one set with diamonds…the other a golden band. Seto sits and his eyes begin to cloud with tears   
  
"Keiko…what happened to you? Where are you?"  
  
His memories of the two everywhere, flash before his eyes.  
  
"You were taken from me so long ago…you were so sweet…a klutz and a bit crazy but so sweet…you were my first love, and will be my last and only love…" Seto says in a solemn tone and sets the music box down and just listens to it until it stops.   
  
"Aishiteru...Kei-koujo…"  
  
Mokuba knocks on the heavy oak door. "Nii-sama! Hurry up! You promised to take me to the arcade with my friends!"  
  
Seto laughs and opens door. "Alright alright, I'm coming…" Mokuba runs downstairs to get his shoes. Seto puts on his shirt and jacket. Eying the ring for a minute, before whispering "Aishiteru" as he slips it on his left hand. He leaves and walks down the stairs, singing gently to himself:  
  
"I wish for your love  
  
I wish for your love  
  
Why? aoi hoshi nee oshiete   
  
I wish for your love  
  
kirinai itami wo  
  
dousureba furikire'ru no  
  
I wanna be your love  
  
I wanna be your love  
  
Why? samishisa wo korosenai  
  
I wanna be your love  
  
chigireta kokoro de  
  
tsuyoku nante narenai ne  
  
I wish for your love  
  
I wish for your love  
  
Why? aoi hoshi nee kanaete  
  
I wish for your love  
  
tatta hitotsu dake  
  
dare yori mo aisaretai"  
  
As Seto sings the last verse, we hear the music box playing the same tune, as he walks down the stairs, smiling, with Mokuba waving at the door for his older brother.  
  
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*a/a That was from Fushigi Yuugi, "I Wish" a song by Yumi Touma (Yui), lyrics from animelyrics.com*  
  
Hoy! Anzu-chan here! In our next episode, Seto gets more than he bargained for at the arcade, as our group is there as well. And what is this about Industrial Illusions giving Kaiba-kun stock? Nani? A new tournement begins? Next time on Runners High! Duel Standby! 


	4. Shooting Star

Writer: hello once again mina!  
  
MW: Yeah yeah just get on with the damn story  
  
FW: But aren't we funny?  
  
MW: No, get over it you try to hard  
  
FW: *runs off crying*  
  
MW: We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but she owns Kasumi Motou…  
  
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"Hurry ni-sama! We are gonna be late!" says Mokuba, bouncing at the door.  
  
Seto hurridly putts on a coat. "I don't have to pick anyone up do I? Remember last time?"  
  
"What?! Yuki has motion sickness problems!"  
  
"Yeah in my brand new Porsche."  
  
"You don't have to pick anyone up."  
  
"Then lets go, we'll take my bike, it'll go faster." he replies, handing Mokuba his helmet.  
  
*Yuugi and company are in the crowded arcade looking for something to do*  
  
"The only thing about arcades is all the hot girls are taken…" sighs a despondent Jounouchi.  
  
"cept one but Kasumi is not my type….little to whiky in the wacky woo for me…" says Honda, scratching the side of his face.  
  
Jounouchi nods anime style. "But she has an unbeatable as-" Jounouchi and Honda are smacked in the back of the head by Kasumi's guitar, with a loud sound, as if it were strummed.  
  
"Bakas…" is all the Anzu will dignify their behavior with, as she looks else where for entertainment.  
  
"Hoy, Anzu, look over there, they just got the latest dancing game in and…Anzu?"  
  
Lines blink where Anzu and Kasumi were just standing, leaving a stunned Jounouchi, Honda and Yuugi.  
  
Jounouchi sighs. "What is with those two?"  
  
Soon the crowd is milling about the unbeatable duo, a blonde bombshell and a beauty brunie, are the nicknames for the two.  
  
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Mokuba soon meets up with his small group of friends. "So is there a line already?" he asks, peering over a large crowd of kids.  
  
"Un! A long one to, but we can squeeze through I think.." says a small boy with whitish blonde hair and glasses, Yuki  
  
"Yeah, I heard some pretty girls were dancing and people were giving them more money to play!" exclaimed a boy with tangled green hair, who responded to the name Touya.  
  
"Wow, they must be really good…" Mokuba said in awe.  
  
"And really pretty…" comment a small boy with blue hair named Li.  
  
"Are you quite finished? I would prefer to go inside, than stand outside looking rather idiotic." Seto said bluntly.  
  
Yuki hides behind Li, because of what he did in the Porshce. "Gomene Seto-sama!"  
  
"Oh shut up, he is over it by now….right?" Touya says, looking at his cowarding friend  
  
Seto says nothing and goes inside.  
  
"Uh, guess not…" replies li, holding a trembling Yuki, in fear of him becoming sick again.  
  
"He is really sensitive about his cars…" Mokuba replies as they follow Seto inside.  
  
"Crowded today ne? Why is it so jam packed today? What exactly did you four drag me to?"   
  
"The premier of the newest dance machine! It is supposed to be really difficult…" Mokuba replied with jubilance.  
  
The three of Mokuba's friends have their mouths hanging open at the sight of Anzu and Kasumi dancing. Mokuba sees the group and he and his friend try and usher Seto away. It works…until he sees Yuugi's hair in the crowd, which is a dead giveaway (Writers hold up small sign pointing to the back of Yuugi that reads in Kanji: "Can never be inconspicuous")  
  
"Matte…(wait)…if Yuugi is here then that means…oh shit…" Seto says trying to find someplace to hide before Kasumi finds him, but of course, fails and is thus glomped by Kasumi  
  
"Ta-kun!" she cries out, leap for a glomp, but Seto steps to the side, and she falls on to the floor. "Ta-kun, doushdano?" *What's wrong?*  
  
"Can you stop calling me Ta-kun? My name is Seto, S-E-T-O."  
  
"But Ta-kun sounds Kawaii!"  
  
"I don't care!"  
  
'Why are you here anyway?" Anzu said, doing her best to prevent a fight.  
  
"Eh? Kaiba?….EEP!" Jounouchi says, ducking for cover.  
  
"I saw you, loser…"  
  
"What did you call me?" Jounouchi rises, then realizes he in doing so gave himself away. "DAMN IT!"  
  
"Watch your mouth there are young children in the room!" said Honda, trying to impress some cute girls nearby.  
  
"Funny coming from you Honda…" growled Jounouchi  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"I am watching my brother and his friends, and since I have business to attend to, would you mind watching them?" asked Seto, looking at his watch.  
  
"Uh, no problem Kaiba-kun…" replied a somewhat confused Yuugi  
  
"Awww, how sweet, Ta-kun out on the town with his little brother and company, isn't it-" Kasumi is then put into a headlock by Seto before she can finish her sentence.  
  
"You should get back to dancing, it is good for you" he says suavely, slipping her two thousand yen (two thousand yen is about twenty dollars)  
  
"Why? You like a toned body?" Kasumi replies with a girlish wink.  
  
"No, it keeps your mouth shut."  
  
Kasumi soon, out of annoyance gets anime veins and a big mouth. "WHY YOU ISOLENT LITTLE! WHY I OUTTA TEACH YOU WHY THEY--" and before she gets violent, Kasumi is dragged away by Yuugi and friends, along with Mokuba and his small pack of friends.  
  
"No man would like a loud mouthed girl, so keep quiet and you may actually interest me." Seto says, walking off with his coat flowing behind him, and drives off to Kaiba Corp quickly before he is caught by an onslaught of coming rain.  
  
Kasumi begins blushing very heavily. "I uhh…"  
  
"Up for another round?" a desperate Anzu says, to get her friend back on track  
  
"UN!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seto reads a notice of Industrial Illusions cancellation of the appointment, and begins reading over various financial statements, and his mood slowly worsens. He is in over his head, everything from Battle City is gone, because of major economic problems in the West. He needs an idea and soon…..and then an idea hits him.  
  
"Come on Seto, think. You can get this company out of this, you have before…" He turns the chair and watches the rain fall. "The one good thing from Gozaburo, his ability with financial situations…but I need a sign…something…anything…" Seto cries in desperation, banging his fist on the desk and a drawer comes open. "Hmm? My deck…" Seto says with curiosity, pulling a Blue Eyes from the top. "If Battle City pulled in funds, maybe a bigger competition would…" He turns back to his desk and begins drafting plans for a new tournament, he works without stop until it is very late. He takes the draft and drives home, finding Obaba and Mokuba already asleep.  
  
Seto sighs. "Maybe Obaba was right when she said I should get home earlier…" as he lays down on the couch and falls asleep  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*next day, Yuugi gets an odd invitation, as does Kasumi*  
  
"Nani? Something from Kaiba-kun?"  
  
"New tournament? I SO hafta get into this!" says Kasumi, bouncing around the room.  
  
Jounouchi has anime cry eyes. "Why didn't I get one?" he whines.  
  
"It says anyone over 15 can enter, but only people who received these letters can get their duel disk for free, I think he sent one to both of us, since we are both listed as the recipients." Yuugi says, pointing to the letter, stating that he and Jounouchi have duel disks from Battle City.  
  
"So where do I get one?" asked Kasumi, eager to join the fun.  
  
"Your in luck, I just happen to have been authorized to sell them, I guess Kaiba-kun realized that Rare Hunters were using his system in Battle City and decided to check out everyone who sells them, so letting me sell them is a no brainer!" replied Jii-chan, preparing to ask for a somewhat large sum of yen.  
  
"Maybe it is just because he pities an old man running a child's game store like he has been since Yuugi's dad was a kid…" Kasumi says, eyeing Jii-chan  
  
Jii-chan soon is huddled in corner, with a blue background. "Don't remind me…"  
  
"Jii-chan" is all Yuugi says with a sigh.  
  
"I think I'll get mine at the cheap store across town, so maybe I can buy some cards" Kasumi says, grabbing her helmet, goggles and keys.  
  
"K-K-Kasumi! MATTE!" a money desperate Jii-chan cried  
  
Kasumi rides off, ignoring the pleas of the old man trying to keep up with her, only to be smacked by her Vespa as she does a sharp turn.  
  
"I told you not to get greedy Jii-chan…" said Yuugi as Yami laughs at the elder man's misfourtune.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Later that same day, Kasumi is still out, as are Yuugi and co., leaving Jii-chan alone at the store. Three strange people walk in. One tall, bald with strange markings on his face, the second a woman in Egyptian clothes with a hint of a gold necklace under her veil, and the third, a younger girl, of non-Egyptian descent, dressed like the woman, but slightly taller. They enter and a small wind blows past, adding to their strange and forboding aura  
  
"We are here to purchase a duel disk for our young companion here." replied the Egyptian woman  
  
"We do not need anything else, and we should already be in the computers database from Battle City. She just needs to be registered and we will be on our way." replied the tall man with golden cat like eyes.  
  
Jii-chan is slightly spooked by Lishid's appearance and wants to get this done quickly. (Writers hold up sign pointing to Jii-chan, saying in kanji "Scared shitless") "Uh, right. I need her name, height, weight, age, gender, where she hails from, and rarest card. "  
  
"My name is Kei Ishtar. I am 5'6, weigh 43 kg (or 95 pounds), I am fifteen years old, female and I come from Cario, Egypt; but I was born in London, England. My rarest card is Wing weaver." she says displaying her card.  
  
Jii-chan slowly puts in information, so he doesn't mess the computer…again. "Um, yes there! I got without any mistakes this time! Alright Kei-san, I just need a picture…just stand still." as he takes out camera connected to the computer and takes the picture. "Alright Arigatou! Have a nice day you three!" he says, putting on his best cheer act as they leave. He heaves a large sigh. I hope that is the worst of the bunch that comes in here. That group scared the living day lights out of me!" The sound of a Vespa scooter, grows louder. "Ah! Kasumi-chan must be home…finally" he says, going outside and waving   
  
"HOY! KASUMI!"   
  
Kasumi accidentaly runs him over, and Haruko pops out of the little side bag, pawing Jii-chan trying to get him to move.  
  
"EEK! GOMENESAI JII-CHAN!" she says struggling to lift him to his feet. "Are you alright?"  
  
"In a minute I'll be fine, just don't do that again. Did you get a duel disk?"  
  
"Nah, the fucking place was crammed. Guess I going to have to shell out more cash than I wanted to." Kasumi whines with a small sigh  
  
Jii-chan happily comments, as he plans on charging her extra. "Oh no matter, we'll get this done quite quickly, hoping I don't crash the computer!"  
  
Kasumi sweat drops and asks the obvious: "Why are you happy? Your not gonna charge me "extra fees" again are you?!"  
  
Jii-chan has a suspicious look to him. "Of course not! Now your duel disk will come to two hundred thousand yen.." (about two hundred bucks)  
  
"N-n-NANI?!!! YOU SCHEMING OLD GEEZER!" Kasumi curses and swears, paying the old man  
  
Jii-chan laughs and counts his money as Kasumi yells at him as the sun begins to set.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Konichiwaa mina. Seto Kaiba here. Next time, the tournament begins, familiar faces along with some new ones pop up everywhere. And what is with that strange girl with Isis? Who is she and what does she want with me? Why am feeling so different all of a sudden? Next time on Runners High; Otome Ranman Ishtar Kei! (Maiden in full bloom). Duel standby! 


	5. Otome Ranman

FW: Nihao! *bows* How are we all? So what if I have to go to bed in a half hour? I can write fast!  
  
MW: You mean we…  
  
FW: Who's comp is it?  
  
Mw:…..damn it!  
  
FW: Don'tcya think the chibi get up is a bit utsey cutsey?   
  
MW: How else would we fit onscreen if we were normal sized?  
  
FW: Point. We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh but I own Kei Ishtar, and Kasumi Motou, so ask my permission first oke?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A fresh day has begun, as a crowd of two hundred thousand line the stadium seats, awaiting the tournament that should start any time soon. Everyone is talking, and there are even cheer sections for certain duelists, and of course, Anzu, Mokuba, Honda, Shizuka, Jii-chan, Ryou and Obaba (Seto's maid, member her?) are all sitting together, as Ms. Motou brings them all snacks to their perfect view, right behind the top duelists, front row seats.   
  
"Isn't it kind of Kaiba-sama to give us such wonderful seats with his grandmother and little brother, and a perfect place to see Jounouch-kun and Yuugi duel!" remarks a proud and smiling Ms. Motou as she hands everyone their respective orders.  
  
"I am not his grandmother, even though I am old enough to be. I am just the woman who helped him grow up, and you should thank me, that he didn't turn into a clone of Gozaburo." said Obaba as she helped Ms. Motou pass out the food.  
  
"Not only that, we get to see Kasumi-tachi duel! Maybe she'll even fight Mai-san or Oni-chan!" Shizuka said with joy at her elder brother's acceptance to the tournament.  
  
"I am going to be so happy no matter which one of them wins, even if it is Kaiba-kun." replied the ever cheerful Anzu, as she scanned the crowd for Ootogi and waved him over.  
  
"Hey guys, how are we all today?" says Ootogi as he sits on the other side of Shizuka, and makes Honda all the more jealous. "Shizuka-chan, you look so nice today. Off to impress your older brother? Make him feel confident for today?"  
  
"Un!" replied Shizuka, beaming at Ootogi, while Honda tried to think of something to say.  
  
"Shizuka, your brother will do the best he can, all for you, and I would to, especially since you look so radiant today. His little angel that cheers him on in the darkest situations, that is you Shizuka." said Honda, from the deepest crevice of his heart and soul, and leaving Ootogi, and the others with open mouths.  
  
"Rhino head IS smart!" laughed Mokuba, as Obaba gently slapped him with her middle and index fingers ((FW: Jackie Chan adventures Uncle slap anyone?))  
  
"Honda-kun, that was so sweet!" Anzu and Ms. Motou replied together, with shiny eyes, wishing men cold be more like him.  
  
"I…Arigatou Honda-kun!" squeals Shizuka as she hugs him and rests her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Wha….." is all that Ootogi can muster as he stands there, mouth gaping, shocked beyond belief, standing there, until someone chucks a soda can at him, yelling for him to sit his ass down.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seto now faces his worst fear. No, not Mou hitori no Yuugi, not Exodia, not even Pegasus himself. No, it is….((Writers shudder))..  
  
"Reporters" Seto says with disgust, as he is mobbed with questions such as:  
  
"Is the company in trouble?"  
  
"Do you plan to avenge your loss to Yuugi Motou at Battle City?"  
  
"Have you heard anything from Industrial Illusions?"  
  
"Anyone in your life lately?"  
  
"How's your brother? Your grandmother?"  
  
Seto answered most, if not all of the questions he could hear, or understand with all the noise. He was starting to tire, and saw no way out, until Yuugi unluckily for him anyway, went right by the reporters, giving Seto a chance to slip away, and as soon as he did, reporters mobbed the defenseless Yuugi with similar questions.  
  
"This place seems nice." Seto said gazing at the field behind the stadium, that looked out into the ocean, from a sheer drop of fifty feet or so. The cliff side and ocean view made for a serene moment, when Seto noticed someone…strange. A young girl, no older than himself, stood on one of the outreaching parts of the cliff, her long blonde hair blowing in the wind. She was dressed much like Isis had in Battle City, but with some differences. For one thing, she was his skin color, the dress was black as was the veil, her blue-green eyes in traditional Egyptian eye makeup, and a long katana strapped to her right leg.   
  
"She must be left handed…not to many people in Japan are left handed…she has the duel disk on the left arm though, like everyone else, she must be ambidextrous…why am I even pondering about such nonsense…but she does look hauntingly beautiful…." Seto looks up, and the girl is gone, but a note flies from where she stood. It reads:  
  
"Hello, my name is Kei Ishtar. I am an opponent in this tournament, and you are very important to me. Lets hope you last long enough for me to tell you why."  
  
Seto crumpled the note and threw it in a waste bin, as he walked in the stadium, not realizing that Kei hopped down from the eve under which he was just standing, and is quietly following him. Seto notices something is not right and his nerves react. He quickens his pace, and is careful of where he walks, not wanting to go into a dead hallway. He soon hears something like a ring dangling from a necklace or maybe bracelet. He turns but no one is there, yet the sound gets louder as he gets more nervous.  
  
"Shit" Kei thinks, trying to make her metal bracelet stop reacting from Seto's emotional swing. When it got out of control, she hurriedly took it off, but in doing so, lost a necklace of hers, and tried to catch it before Seto saw, but to late.  
  
"You! Who are you and what do you want with me?" Seto yells   
  
"I am here as a fight of honor, to restore my family name, and as I said, you shall know who I am when the time comes…but for now, you must relax, for the tournament shall soon begin, and one's mind must never be at rest, for the mind at rest is a mind in danger." and before he can stop her, Kei disappeared as if she was never there at all.  
  
Seto stares at the space she just occupied, and wonders who she was…"Why do I…feel…like I know her? Why do I feel…like this inside? What if I do something so stupid…as to fall in love with her?" he asks himself. He quickly shakes these things off as he reaches the stadium and prepares for a long day.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"And another stunning win for Kei Ishtar! Now the quarter finals shall begin shortly! Duelists take a rest while you can." the announcer said, giving instructions on a half hour intermission. Seto tried to get over to Kei, only to be paused by reporters. Yuugi met up with his friends as they commented on his duels, and congratulating Jounouchi for making it this far undefeated. Seto skipped talking with Mokuba, trying to follow Kei.  
  
"There is something not right about her…her duels, she wins them in less than eleven turns…and seems to be using the same cards…what could she be up to?" Seto thought to himself as he made his way down the hall.  
  
"Ta-kun!" Kasumi says, attaching herself to Seto's upper body. "Didya see me duel?"  
  
"Yes, your better than I thought, now if you excuse me, I need to talk to someone."  
  
"Aww Ta-kun but please won't you just stay? Onegai?" Kasumi said, using her big shiny green eyes against him.  
  
"That doesn't work on me, unless your cute."  
  
"So why isn't it working?"  
  
"Kawaii kune" (un cute)  
  
Kasumi storms off, red aura and all, muttering about getting revenge on her Ta-kun.  
  
"I need to find Kei, I need answers…I need to understand why she is doing this." Seto said, begin to run down the halls.  
  
Soon, he could see the outline of a girl, long hair and a veil. He ran over to her and grabbed her by the wrists and began to ask her questions.  
  
"Who are you? Tell me!" Seto said harshly, slamming her back first against the wall and holding her there by her wrists.  
  
"I am of no importance to you" Kei says, making no eye contact, which Seto finds strange.  
  
"Such an outgoing girl, yet you can not find courage to look anyone straight in the eyes, why is that?"  
  
"I…I…that is none of your business!" she said, trying to get out of his grip.  
  
Seto loosened his grip, and raised the young woman's head to look him in the eyes. What he saw made him feel a rush of love, as her eyes were fresh with tears, shining a pale blue green.  
  
"Even though I just see your eyes, you are probably the most beautiful girl in the world…" Seto said, as if he were in a trance. He put his arms around her waist, and hugged her close.  
  
"What am I doing? Why am I falling in love…with this girl? How come I feel, as if I have known her my entire life?" were questions running around Seto's mind, as he held Kei close to him, as she began to cry and tell her story.  
  
"When I was little, I was given to Isis to be trained, and then I heard that my father was murdered, and the reason why was because he beat Seto Kaiba and was ordered dead…" she cried her heart out to the man she despised, and they never knew why. Seto held her and assured her he would never kill a man for any reason, or at least one such as that.   
  
"Your going to let me go now aren't you? Since you have your answers…"  
  
"Not until you feel like your done crying, I refuse to leave you here alone, shedding tears, when such eyes should not do such a thing." Seto replied, as her kissed the top of her head. The smell of her hair was intoxicating to him.   
  
"Smells like jasmine flowers.." he thought as if he was dreaming. The two did not move, for all eternity it seemed, and Seto wished it would have been forever….  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jounouchi wondered where Seto had run off to. As did the others. They were prowling around the duelist area where the quarter finalists were resting, and down every hall.   
  
"Maybe he did me a favor and dropped off the face of the Earth" Jounouchi responded when there was no sign of Seto.  
  
"Or maybe he just got tired and went in his room like everyone else." Mai said, getting Jounouchi back down to earth.  
  
"Well, he isn't in his room because his room is empty." replied Mokuba, with Obaba bringing up the rear, both panting and out of breath.   
  
"Where is his room anyway?" Honda asked   
  
"Top floor master suite." Obaba said, as if it wasn't unordinary.  
  
"THAT KISAMA!" Jounouchi screamed, insulting Seto and his never ending wealth.  
  
"Hey look, the masu inu can play speak. Can he play dead to?" replied Seto coldly.  
  
Jounouchi leaped at Seto, only to flipped over behind Seto, and looking up the skirt of Kei, who immediately smacked him with the sheath of her katana.  
  
"Who s this pervert?!" Kei screamed, as Jounouchi tried to get another peek, earning a kick to the head from Seto, as Kei hid behind him.  
  
"Masu Inu"  
  
"I mean his real name…..Katsuya wasn't it?"  
  
"I like Jounouchi…." he said, recovering from the kick to the head. "Your going to give me brain damage Kaiba.."  
  
"How can I give damage if there is nothing to damage in the first place?"  
  
Jounouchi leapt at Seto, but to his surprise, Seto just walked off, with Mokuba and Obaba, and Kei on his arm.  
  
"Seto-sama, why is he trying to hurt you?"  
  
"Because he is mad that he can't beat me."  
  
"But he is good, why can't he beat you?"  
  
Seto just smirks at her, looks back at Jounouchi and holds Kei closer, thus making Jounuchi, Honda and Yami very jealous. The three curse him being such a ladies man, as Ryou and Ootogi laugh at them.  
  
"They seem mad, are you sure they don't need some tea or flowers to cheer them up?"  
  
"Quite sure." Seto said, kissing Kei's hand.  
  
"YOU LITTLE SON OF A-" Kei does not hear the last word because Seto covers her ears.  
  
"You shouldn't use such language in front of a lady." Seto retorted, trying to prove he was chivalrous to Kei, and showing off to the rest of the males in the room.  
  
"Katsuya-san, are you ok?" Kei says, leaving Seto's grasp and going over to her new found friend.  
  
"What do you see in that…kisama…anyway?" Jounouchi said with clenched teeth.  
  
"I know he doesn't seem it, but Seto-sama is really sweet, he is…." Kei says. "And I know you can be sweet to." she adds, and hugs Jounouchi. "Please cheer up Katsuya-san. For me?" she says with the sweetest smile he had ever seen from someone that isn't his sister.  
  
"God damn how do you do that?" Jounouchi said, ruffling her hair as she giggled.  
  
"I wish you all the best of luck, I heard a lot about all of you, but the one I look forward to dueling is you, Katsuya-san." Kei bows, as she runs back to Seto, thus attaching herself to his arm, as little hearts float above her head.  
  
"You are a sweet little girl, why do you act so cold?" Seto asked, waiting in the hall for the other quarter finalists to come.  
  
"Because…well…I…."  
  
"Your afraid to lose someone again, like you did with your father aren't you?"  
  
"How did you kn-" Seto puts his finger to where her lips would be under the veil, and tells her :  
  
"I never thought in my wildest dreams I could really love someone as I love you, and I barely met you two hours ago…you seem to be the reason I was put here, I can't describe it…maybe I was afraid of losing someone to, but look, we have each other, similar lives and stories, can't that be all that matters? No past, no present, just us, what do you say? Show me the real girl that you are, the one behind the veil…" he says, so close to her now that he can feel her heartbeat against his own. His hand slowly moves to take off her veil, to kiss her, when she takes it off quick as a flash and wraps it around his eyes.  
  
"It is customary to wait before you fully see my face, as a test of love…if you pass it means you love me for who I am and not what I am…"  
  
"I don't care if I never see your face, as long as I have you by my side." Seto assures, as he takes her and kisses her. Kei removes the veil from his eyes, and he keeps them shut, as a sign of respect, until she whispers he can open his eyes again. They embrace and Seto notices something strange on her lower back, but the bell to begin the duels rings before he can look. Seto tells Kei that for awhile, he is going to act differently around her when large amounts of people and press are around, saying, "I don't want this in the papers, and if our relationship ever does get published, then I want us both to agree to it, because the most terrible way for a relationship to end is by thousand of paparazzi watching your every move." Kei nods in agreement, and gives him one last kiss good luck, before she leaves to retrive a few things.   
  
"The next duel, will be between…" the announcer is cut off from Seto's hearing by the sound of "OUT OF MY WAY!!!" and people being hit by what sounded like a very familiar electric guitar. Seto smiled and went out, he was going to enjoy his own tournament for the first time, because he now had someone special to enjoy it with.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
MINA!! Kei here! Kasumi-san is doing wonderfully! She is in second place! I AM SO HAPPY FOR HER! Katsuya-san and Yuugi-tatchi are doing well also, though Katsuya-san better pick it up or he may not get a wild card spot. What? Me? In the next duel? Dinosuar Ryuzakii?! Oh dear…..can I do it? Next time on Runners High: "Aoi Arashi, (Blue Storm)! The fight against Dinosuar Riyuzakii! Duel Standby! 


	6. Aoi Arashi

FW: Sooooooo, thou hath returneth to the ye olde pit of insanity ne?  
  
Mw: You think this is bad? Try her on a sugar rush. She is a pit of insanity on her own.  
  
Fw: I am in the duelin' sorta mood right now!  
  
Mw: Yeah, that's because you keep watching that Pulp Fiction intro Cowboy Bebop AMV and it is getting to your brain *sweat drops*  
  
FW: We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own Kei Ishtar and Kasumi Motou.  
  
EDIT: THANK YOU LISA FOR OUR FIRST REVIEW! *hugs and grants a cookie* n_n!  
  
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"And another stunning twelve turn win for Motou Kasumi! She now moves up from fourth place, to second place, right behind Seto-sama! Is he the only one who can stop this Osaka Beauty?" the announcer said with excitement and curiosity.  
  
Kasumi winked and blew a kiss to the crowd, and soon requests for a song were heard from the crowd.  
  
"Play Pulp Fiction!"  
  
"Ride on Shooting Star!"  
  
"Iie, iie! Play Love Panic!"  
  
"IIIIEEE!!!! Play Voice!!"  
  
"Otome Ranman!"  
  
"Tank!"  
  
"Give a Reason!"  
  
"Heart of Swords!"  
  
"FIRE SOUL LOVE!!"  
  
Kasumi starting laughing when it was a tie for Love Panic, Tank and Fire Soul Love. She then decided to do something interesting, and played snippets of all of the suggested songs she had heard, so well it seemed like one song. Many of the people in the stands began dancing, cheering and singing along if they knew the words. Seto actually felt somewhat attracted to her for her sheer talent, he figured it must take a somewhat large brain to pull what she was doing off, not to mention well.  
  
"Maybe she is smarter than she lets off, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least." he thought to himself, amused as Anzu danced with Shizuka right behind him. For once, he felt at peace with people, simply because he realize that although they not be as gifted as he is, they all have something in common with him. A dire love for music. Watching Kasumi play, opened something in his heart he never thought was possible. Acceptance of those around him. Acceptance of his peers. And most of all, acceptance of Kasumi as his full equal.   
  
"Arigatou!" Kasumi yelled, taking her leave off the arena, probably going backstage to rest and massage her calloused hands.   
  
"Up next, the dinosaur champion Ryuzaki versus the Exotic Beauty from Egypt Ishtar Kei!"   
  
The crowd began to roar and cheer. Such a match, was destined to be a good one, even if it ended up becoming one sided. Seto moved backstage, to find Kei, and give her assurance, that even if she lost this one duel, she had a chance to come back. Being in third place meant if she lost, even thought it would be her only strike against her, she would not qualify for the semi finals unless she won the match designed to finish her off and disqualify her or save herself from just that.   
  
"Kei!" Seto said, wrapping his arms with great ease around her waist.   
  
"Oh! Seto-sama! Did you come to see me duel?" Kei replied, staying ever cheerful, thought the odds were high against her.  
  
"I came to give you hope. The odds are stacked against you, but if you lose, don't worry, soon after you have a chance to save yourself, so please don't worry." he said, kissing the top of her head and her neck.  
  
"I am not, and if I lose, I won't be mad, sure I will be sad but if I have you, Kasumi-san, Yuugi-tatchi, Katsuya-sama and everyone else I know I will be alright. Friends can do almost anything, and are always there for you." she said, hugging Seto, unwilling to let him go, until he told her it was time to go. Kei gave him a small nuzzle as a sign of affection and he kissed her hand for good luck. Seto knew she would do well.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Oh no! And Ryuzaki's King Rex ((FW: sorry, we don't have everything about the show, so some monsters may have their cheesy American names, sorry)) destroys another low level monster! What happened to the eleven turn miracle girl?" the announcer said somewhat depressed, as he was losing money from a bet he placed earlier.  
  
Ryuzaki simply laughs and demeans her for even trying.  
  
"What a pathetic excuse for a duelist! You can't even give me one good monster to defeat!"   
  
In fact, the reason Kei defeated people in eleven or so turns, was because that's the exact number of actual cards in her deck. She would take the rare card of the loser, and steal some other, good but not so rare cards. This round, like previous ones, gave her blank cards and monsters used for spells, traps or sacrifice.  
  
"What am I gonna do?" Kei thought, setting one monster face down and a trap card.  
  
"I attack whatever pathetic face down card you have." Ryuzaki said, losing interest in the duel, but certainly not in Kei.   
  
"I turn over my trap Swords of Revealing light!" Kei said, turning over the trap.  
  
"Oooohhh so you get three more turns I am soooo scared!" Ryuzaki said, full of sarcasm.  
  
"I end my turn."  
  
"I pass this turn, just go on, make your move, and lose so I can get something out of you."  
  
The crowd was upset by his comment and some began throwing things at Ryuzaki.  
  
"Aw shut it you losers!!"  
  
On her last turn of the trap card, Kei pulled her savior card. One that she always thought resembled her in a way.  
  
"I sacrifice my face down monster to summon Black magician Girl!" as the preppy magician materialized in front of her, and Kei signaled for the attack holding out her arm, much like how BMG held her staff for attacks. The crowd cheered as Kei slowly made a comeback.   
  
"That's spirit and trust in your cards." Yami thought, backstage with Jounouchi and Mai.   
  
"K-E-I! Lets G-O Go go GO!! Anzu, Honda, Ootogi and Shizuka all cheered, cheering with Japanese paper fans, as Ryou copied them with out the aid of fans. Mokuba and Obaba cheered along, and Obaba even got out her own fans and joined in, as Mokuba cried out with joy for his new Onee-san, seeing as how his older brother and her were in a relationship.  
  
"She is wonderful, I hope to actually fight her one day, just for fun.." Seto thought, trying to keep his mind off Kei and on the duel at hand.   
  
"Ha! You think I will be defeated like this?" Ryuzaki shouted, nearly laughing insanely. "I play Change of Heart! And take control of your Black Magician Girl! And thus I destroy your remaining life points." he said laughing.   
  
"Hmm, I know, I'll fold, on one condition, since you are pretty cute."  
  
"What is that?" Kei said, with a mix of anger and worry.  
  
"I'll fold if you sleep with me how's about that?"  
  
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Anzu screamed  
  
"KISAMA!" Seto yelled, now at his breaking point.  
  
The audience was full of insults and yelling for justice. Jounouchi had no words to express his anger, so he just tossed his chair that he was sitting on at Ryuzaki's head, with accurate precision, and giving Ryuzaki a nice large bump on his forehead.  
  
"I guess that is a no. ATTACK!"  
  
The Black Magician Girl, under control, unwillingly attacked her mistress, and as she did, it looked as if she was crying. Kei was sent flying back by the blast because she was so light, and before making contact with the wall, was caught by spectators.  
  
"The winner of this duel…is Dinosaur Ryuzaki…" the announcer retorted with disgust as the crowd booed Ryuzaki.  
  
Kei ran backstage crying, Seto in full pursuit, leaving Ryuzaki to the angry Yami, Honda, Jounouchi and Ootogi.   
  
Seto took a crying Kei into his arms, trying to get her to look at him, when Ryuzaki walks in, taunting Kei about how she can't even cheer herself up, and she must look to the coldest man on earth to do so.  
  
Seto walks over, towering above Ryuzaki, seeing that the five men outside have inflicted quite a few injuries already, but this does not make him feel any worse about beating the living shit out of Ryuzaki.  
  
"And you say one more thing about any one woman in that manner, and the six of us will come upon you like Harpies to a murderer." Seto said coldly, as he spat on Ryuzaki.  
  
"You are hereby banned from any tournaments I hold. Be gone before I make you scarce myself."  
  
Without any more words, Ryuzaki ran helter skelter as fast as his beaten legs could carry him.  
  
"Don't worry, if he tries anything on you either myself, Mou hitori no Yuugi, Ootogi, Honda, Jounouchi or Anzu will help. Alright? Hey look at me." Seto said with sudden softness, lifting up her chin for her eyes to meet his. For a long moment, the feeling Seto had of belonging on this earth just for her sprang forth in his heart like a mad stampede. The two embraced, not letting go, until the loud speaker announced that Haga would play Mai. Seto prayed Mai would win, as he gently caressed Kei's hair as she wept on his shoulder.   
  
"I…I…I…can't even beat someone like Ryuzaki what chances do I have against people like Katsyua-sama or Mai-san?" Kei choked out, between small sobs.  
  
"Shh, do you want to rest? Where is your room?"  
  
Kei gently points to the door behind her, the smallest room there is. Seto gently takes her inside, sits himself on the small couch, seats Kei in his lap, and holds her as she gently cries her heart out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seto did not care that he was missing a good duel. He didn't care that the next duel she could be heartbroken and disqualified. He didn't care that his shirt was fresh with her tears. No. All he cared for was her well being. Seto notice a pair of small, blue-green eyes looking up at him. He smiled gently and asked her:  
  
"Feel better my love?"  
  
Kei nods, resting her head on his shoulder, leans in to kiss him, removing her veil when he stops her.  
  
"Don't let me see your face until we both truly know we love each other for who we are…not what we are" Seto said, brushing hair from her eyes, closing his. He could feel the veil drop into his lap, and the warmth of her lips. The two kissed for a long time, ignoring cheers of the crowd, ignoring everything. Nothing stopped them until the next duel was announced.   
  
"The next duel will be….Kaiba Seto.."   
  
Seto perked up, looking up, as Kei put her veil back on.  
  
"versus, oh god she doesn't have a chance……Ishtar…Kei…" the announcer said with shock and horror, along with worry, and everything grew deadly silent.  
  
Kei began to shake, tears filling her eyes.  
  
"I am done for, I can't fight you! I can't even beat Ryuzaki!" she said, beginning to weep uncontrollably.  
  
Seto dried her tears, and held her close, so she could hear his heartbeat.  
  
"Hear that? It beats for you and only you. No matter what happens nothing will change that. But just because you're my love doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. Alright?"  
  
"I don't expect you to, in fact, as much as I hate losing, this should be good experience for me…" Kei said, trying to find a good outlook for this.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
But the outlook was not good. For within ten minutes, Seto had his Blue Eyes Ultimate dragon out, somewhat inadvertently, lost in his own power and darkness. Kei scrambled to think of what to do, until she had nothing left. She could not put her monsters to defense any more, she had used up her swords of revealing light, she had nothing but the card she loved the most. The Black Magician Girl looked back at her owner, and nodded.   
  
"No matter what." it seemed as if she said to Kei, who nodded back, still afraid and on the brink of tears, but she knew they would always be friends despite their impending doom.   
  
"I end my turn." Kei said, staring the dragon in the face as best she could without showing fear, even though fear shot through her veins like cold ice.   
  
Seto thought to himself about what he had done to her.  
  
"I love her, and yet I go and scare her, what kind of man am I? I could blow her away and win, but…I could also….should I?….why am I even thinking of it? I already know the answer." Seto's hand reaches for his deck.  
  
A white line shoots across Isis as she sits with other semi-finalists, as Rishid leans over concerned.  
  
"What is wrong Isis-sama?"  
  
"Mr. Kaiba…he is…he's going to…."  
  
"Going to what?!"  
  
Yuugi and friends, along with Obaba and Mokuba leaned closer to Isis to hear what she had predicted.   
  
"He is going to forfeit for Kei, giving her fourth place and dropping him into the wild card race with the duelists placed at 5th through 12th ….he could lose it all….just for her."  
  
The small group blinked in astonishment. Seto Kaiba did not fold, for ANYTHING.  
  
"He must really love her." Anzu points out.  
  
"Kaiba….giving up?" Jounouchi wonders in amazement.  
  
"I will fold. I give the duel to Kei." Seto said, placing his hand over his deck, walking out of the deathly quiet stadium. Cheers soon erupt and girls scream and rave about him being a gentleman, boys thanking him for keeping another pretty face in the tournament. Kei runs as fast as she can backstage, rips off her veil and kisses Seto for the longest time, then hugs him repeating the word "Aishiteru" over and over. Seto smiled, looking down into a face of beauty and innocence. Two big blue green eyes, blonde hair cascading down her back, some falling into her face at the sides, dark black makeup enhanced her haunting eyes. Her skin was soft to the touch, and her smile was so sweet it melted Seto's heart. He swept Kei up into his arms and spun her around wildly, as her laughter rang down the halls. He knew trials were soon coming, but he did not care, right now his world was perfect as the two danced to a song on the radio in Kei's room. Her voice was enchanting, as she sang along to "Blue As the Sky". Seto recognized it as the song from a favorite movie of Mokuba's…Card Captor Sakura. ((Writers: *snicker* Wonder what else Moku-kun likes *writers are thus mauled*)) Two hours passed, then Seto was called away to earn his spot in the finals.   
  
And he did.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The finalists lined up, Kei absent of course, because she was resting from her duel. Kasumi stood proudly, next to Yami, then Mai, followed by a blank spot where Kei would be, then Seto, Jounouchi, Rishid, and another blank spot. The announcer said the final finalist asked for his name not to be revealed until he said so. Kasumi played a few songs, and bid goodbye to her fans, as did Mai. The two giggled until they reached their rooms, reitring for the day, until the place where the finals were to be held was thus revealed to them. Seto and the others waited for the last finalist, as Kei ran in, concealing her face, much to Seto's dismay, and took her place. Right as the last audience member left, and Anzu, Honda, Shizuka, Ootogi, Obaba, Ms. Motou, Jii-chan, and Mokuba joined the duelists, giving them congratulations, and more to Seto and Kei, hoping they would blossom into a perfect couple. A strange wind began to blow through an open door. Isis, Rishid, Kei, and the item holders, looked up. They sensed another item. A familiar one. One that meant nothing good.  
  
"I must apologize for being late. I had business to attend to after I finished the wild card round." said a man in a long black coat. "It is so wonderful to see you all here, and especially you…Kei-chan…" Malik said, removing his hood with an evil smirk on his face.  
  
Kei's eyes widened in horror and she screamed. Seto immediately put himself between Malik and Kei.  
  
"Back away from my wife, Kaiba-kun.." Malik said, with a calm touch of insanity to his voice.   
  
"NO! I am not your wife! I hate you!" Kei screamed, on the verge of tears. Everyone stood, confused, Seto was growling, deciding which way to kill Malik, and Isis and Rishid went to Kei, aiding in preventing Malik from harming her.   
  
"Trying to force me into a marriage and trying three times to kidnap and rape me is not what I call love."  
  
"Your right, it's more of an obsession…." Malik said trailing off into the depths of his insanity.   
  
"Stay away from her or you will regret it, my blood or not Malik." Isis said, holding her student close to her.  
  
"Malik-sama, I to, will protect her from you, no matter what."   
  
"You hurt her and I will show you things worse than death." Seto growled through gritted teeth.  
  
The entire group was now clustered around Kei, Jounouchi, Seto and Yami at the front.   
  
"Tsk tsk tsk. This is no fun at all, I think I shall take my leave." Malik said, walking down the hall, cloak flowing behind him.  
  
Kei ran into the arms of Seto, as he watched a man he was beginning to loathe as he had loathed his step-father.   
  
"I swear on my life I will protect you from any harm. Don't worry. You just go and we'll get some sleep alright?" Seto said, drying the eyes of Kei.   
  
"I second that. I will give my life to protect you as well." Jounouchi vowed, bowing.  
  
"As shall I." Yami added, bending on one knee.  
  
"See? You have two of the best men I know protecting you, as well as your teacher, friends, and myself. Please don't be afraid, I hate it, it does nothing for your spirit." Seto said, astonished at what he had just said about Yami and Jounouchi.  
  
"Lets all find ourselves some rooms and rest ne?" Anzu requested, as tomorrow was going to be a long day.   
  
"HAI!" was the response, as everyone said their goodnights and went off to bed. Kei tried going to her room, but Seto took her with him into his room. As soon as he lay next to her, she immediately rested her head on his chest, and fell to sleep, as he put his arms around her.   
  
"My little angel…" Seto said, drifting off to sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	7. Give a Reason

FW: Ok, I know a lot of what I…err… we have been writing has been romance, with some drama, maybe a bit of angst…now we take a page from our favored manga artist Rumiko Takahashi! Known for Ranma ½, Inu-yasha, Mermaid's Scar and Maison Ikouku…no we are not twenty some things, we just are obsessed high school sophomores with a lot of time on our hands…  
  
MW: Hey, I resent that!  
  
FW: what the fact that you have no life?  
  
MW: No…I mean the sophomore thing; I am a junior for crying aloud!  
  
FW: We have a few cameos in this episode; see if you can spot them  
  
MW: We don't own the cameo roles, their creator does.  
  
FW: You know the disclaimer. We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I do own Kei Ishtar and Kasumi Motou.  
  
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Seto awoke the next morning and Kei was already gone off somewhere. He sighed and wondered about how strange she could be at times. He runs a hand through his hair, grabs a towel and heads for the shower downstairs. Mai is trying to kill Jounouchi for snapping dirty pictures of her asleep, while Honda and Ootogi are already trying to gain attention of Shizuka, Isis and Rishid are no where to be seen, Bakura and Yami are having are an argument and Mokuba is relaxing playing a Game Boy Advance SP. Seto opens the sliding door to the bath, hangs an occupied sign and turns on the shower. After being in only a few minutes, he hears the outer door open, followed by the sliding door. Before he can say anything, Kasumi opens the shower door. It is pure silence, as the two stand there in nothing but what they were born in. Kasumi is the first to speak, as she looks down, and then back up.  
  
"Hiding something good from the ladies eh Ta-kun?"  
  
"What-you- CAN'T YOU READ?!"  
  
"Oh please, Ta-kun what is your problem?" Kasumi asks, getting in the shower with Seto, grabbing the bottle of shampoo from his hand.   
  
"Hey I had that first!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"Give it back!"  
  
"Make me!"  
  
The two erupt in a small fight over the shampoo bottle, mainly just pulling the bottle back and forth, until Kasumi knees Seto in the groin, and while doubling over, Seto managed to grab one of her large breasts, as payback.   
  
"YEEEOOOWCH!!" WHAT WAS THAT FOR? How DARE you reach into the bosom of a woman you barely know!" Kasumi screeched.  
  
"One: It was payback. Two: I would hardly call you a woman."  
  
"Why you little!" Kasumi kicks him out of the shower and the two grab bathrobes, as they tumble in a small dust cloud, down the hall into the dining room, until Kasumi pulls a large mallet from hammer space, knocking Seto into one of the sliding doors leading to the kitchen.   
  
"Now if you excuse me, I am going to go take a shower. Later al-" Kasumi is cut off Seto kicking her in the back, sending her flying, and grabbing the bottle from midair.  
  
"Use another bathroom, there should be one upstairs." Seto said, going to finish his shower, or rather start it over, seeing as how when one crashes through a door, one tends to get dirty.  
  
Seto was now letting the water run over his body, soothing his sore muscles, when yet again, someone comes in. Whoever it is is humming to themselves, and who should open the shower door next but Kei. She immediately turns around, blushing to her fullest extent.   
  
"Gomene! Gomene!" Kei said, trying to run, but before she could move, Seto wraps his arms around her bare waist, and pulls her in the shower with him.   
  
"You look even more adorable embarrassed…"  
  
"I…I…I…uhhh.."  
  
"Come now, you can't be shy forever…you promised to show me the real you.." Seto said softly into her ear, pinning her against the wall of the shower, kissing her neck, whispering more things gently into her ear. She brings his lips to hers, but before they kiss, a voice comes from beyond the door.  
  
"Ni-sama! I need to take a shower and Anzu threw me out of the other bathroom, so I need to take one with you ok?" Mokuba said. "Here I come Ni-…ni-sama…why are you and Onee-san together in the shower?" Mokuba said, turning his head to the side, confused.   
  
"Um, well, uh…Mokuba," Seto said, turning to his younger brother. "It's hard to explain so you just wait a bit and you can have the shower to yourself then alright?"  
  
"That's okay!" Mokuba said, as he started walking out. "I will just ask Jounouchi what you two are doing!"   
  
"MOKUBA!…I know this isn't my usual manner but if you need to ask some…just ask Yuugi and for the love of all things good and holy when it comes to questions like that stay the hell away from Jounouchi and Honda!" Seto yelled after his little brother, hoping he absorbed enough to at least ask Yuugi.  
  
"Now, where were-" Seto turns to where Kei, WAS standing. Now little lines blink in her place. Seto is almost ready to get out of the shower, from outside we hear one last person.  
  
"Ta-kun giving free-show inside…hmmm…sounds good…" said a voice Seto knew and loathed.  
  
"Kasumi, get ready cause here comes a guy you'll never forg-….Kaiba-kun?!!!" Jounouchi screamed in terror.  
  
"WHY DID YOU COME IN?! AND WHY DID YOU CALL ME KASUMI?!"  
  
"Well, I thought that she was giving a free show because on the door, she had put a message with a small chibi drawing of her…..so that's why I thought it was her and….I'm going to die aren't I?"  
  
Seto throws on a towel and storms out of the bathroom. After getting on SOME clothes, he is walking down the halls, putting on his shirt, when two of his workers catch him.  
  
"Seto-sama, we have a problem."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"The blimp sir, uh, it won't run….last night someone botched the electrical system with what appears to have been a knife…and it wasn't to accurate either. Shotty work…but it did the job. ((Writers hold up small sign with chibi Yami Malik on it))  
  
"GOD DAMNIT!" Seto says, scaring his two workers away, as he travels to the dining room. On the way, his shirt becomes caught and rips on a coat rack. He takes it off, and walks in the room. Kei is sitting net to Jounouchi, and he gives her a small kiss on the cheek.   
  
Seto begins to shake with anger and turns heel, slamming the door behind him. For the rest of the day practically he doesn't come out, until they are forced into relocation.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The owner of the once dojo, now turned inn, stood proudly, his shoulder length black hair and mustache neatly trimmed. His very first guests were paying him quite a lot, renting out the whole dojo for themselves, giving him ample money to go on vacation, now that he had married off all of his daughters to prominent men. As the group pulled up, the man shook Seto's hand.  
  
"You don't know what this means to us. I married off all of my daughters in two weeks! One to a doctor she had loved for years, another to the richest man in town, she married him for his money on her choice, and my youngest to his son." The man jabs his finger at a large panda behind him, who holds up a sign reading:  
  
"Yes the ceremonies were all together, many weddings at once, it was marvelous."  
  
"Saotoume, you should throw some warm water on yourself, people aren't fond of large pandas in downtown Tokyo."  
  
The panda does this, turning into a short, stout man with glasses and a white bandana covering his baldhead.  
  
"Let's roll!" He says, hopping into a car with the black haired man, the two driving off yelling:  
  
"FREEDOM!!!!"  
  
The group sweat drops.  
  
"Did you all see, what I just saw?" asked Jounouchi, rubbing his eyes.  
  
The whole group nods, with small dots for eyes and little x's mouths.   
  
"Man this place is strange…" Mai points out.  
  
Moreover, it didn't stop there.  
  
The minute Malik, Ryou and Yuugi walked past the front gate, seals on them activated, and the next thing they know, they are looking at their other sides. Then the other sides notice something…  
  
"I HAVE NO CLOTHES ON!!!" screamed Bakura, taking cover behind Ryou.  
  
"Aibou! Help!" Yami yelped, having Yuugi at least stand in front of him, since it was impossible to hide behind him.  
  
"Oh quit whining! Be proud! Show your stuff pharaoh!" Marik said, and began strutting around the place, showing off what the gods gifted him with.   
  
"Mou hitori no ore…" Malik said with a sweat drop.  
  
"Shizuka! Look away!" Jounouchi said, covering his sister's eyes, since she was only twelve.   
  
Anzu was now looking into the face of the man who had so many times saved her from harm. Even if she didn't want to, she found herself blushing. His deep crimson eyes seemed somewhat insane, yet at the same time completely loving.   
  
"Anzu, you're cute when you blush." Yami said, forgetting he has no clothes on.  
  
"MOU HITORI NO BOKU! Don't forget something very important!" Yuugi yelled, trying to catch the attention of his other side, who was about to walk up to Anzu, without any clothes.  
  
"Chilly isn't it, Bakura-kun?" Kasumi said, with an evil cat-like glance.  
  
"I'll have you know that I-ACHOO!"   
  
Kasumi begins laughing, as Bakura swears violently, calling her many things I cannot type here.  
  
"Oh and one last thing before I go in, HEY OTHER SIDES! SAY CHEESE!" Kasumi yells with glee as she takes a picture and runs inside at full pace. As a large argument began, as to who got what room, Jounouchi and Honda set off for the largest possible room they could find. They found it at the very top of the dojo, and were about to run right for it, when Seto, looking as emotionally dead as one could without actually BEING dead, slid the door open, gave the two boys a look of death, and went in on his own.   
  
"Shit….I think I may be in trouble.." Jounouchi whimpered with blue lines under his eyes.  
  
"You think you may be in trouble? You fucking kissed his girlfriend!" Honda said, slapping Jounouchi upside the head. The two boys found the next largest room, and were forced to share it with Ootogi, since Ryou and Yuugi shared one, the girls each had their own except Shizuka who stayed with Anzu, Obaba and Mokuba were in another, Bakura and Yami shared one, and Malik, Isis and Rishid had another. When asked why he didn't have a room, Marik just responded with a psychotic cackle. The group left him to his own doings after that.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seto had not eaten, nor slept in the two days of being at the dojo. He just sat and stared at the ceiling, no one came in, no one spoke through the door, until on the second day Kasumi was fed up and barged in.  
  
"God damn Ta-kun how long are you going to lay here like some pitiful animal in the street?"  
  
"Don't call me that." Seto said, sitting up, looking at Kasumi and noticing that she was dressed in fewer clothes than she would normally be.   
  
"What this? New fashion statement?"  
  
"No. Conservation of laundry detergent. Apparently we have low funds and Kei won't come out of her room to go to the store, and Mai can't go because she is constantly teaching Anzu and Shizuka to cook so her and I aren't the only ones cooking. Now you getup and restore some order, because Bakura and Mou hitori no Yuugi keep fighting, and Marik got lessons from a perverted old midget, and now goes around town stealing girls panties!"  
  
"It is no longer a tournament, it's a circus." Seto says with sarcasm as he turns on his side.   
  
"Come on Ta-kun, you can't be mad at her forever no da."  
  
"I am not mad at her, I am mad at myself…"  
  
"Nande?"  
  
"Because I let her slip away."  
  
"Now who said she slipped away?" Kasumi yelled, pulling on Seto's arm in an attempt to get him up. "You can't do this forever! Now get the hell up!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I love you that's why! Now get up!" Kasumi yelled, while pulling on his arm, until she gave up, and sat down panting.  
  
"You…love me?"  
  
"Erk…uhhh….ignore the fact that I said that kay Ta-kun?" she said making a b-line for the door, but not before Seto caught her by her ponytail.  
  
"Sit. Please."  
  
"Fine…but why talk about the fact that I like you, when you don't even feel the same. Moreover, if you do it is because of all the same reasons your gender likes me. My legs are more than half my body length, I have dazzling green eyes, my breasts are size 36C, and I can never find clothes that fit with out showing something off."  
  
"I can see past that. You have a fighting spirit, you won't let anyone hurt you, much less love you…"  
  
"Then why don't you like me? Is it because you can't dominate me like a little doll?!"  
  
"Kudos to any man who can."  
  
"I'll take that as a yes then."  
  
"Who says I didn't love you?" Seto said, wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing her close to him.  
  
"Well for one thing you love Kei, so any relations with me would probably be lust from boredom in a relationship. That's why."  
  
"Who said I was bored with Kei, and who said it would be lust? I do love you Kasumi, but nothing compared to how much I love Kei. I hope you understand that." he said, kissing her neck and letting her go.  
  
Kasumi said nothing, she stormed out and slammed the door behind her.  
  
"I think the situation just got worse." Mai said, peering up the stairs as Kasumi walked down the hall to her room.  
  
"Uh…MAI-SAN! HELP! FIRE!!" Shizuka yelled, trying in vain to put out Anzu's apron.  
  
"Oh dear." Mai said, pouring water over the panic stricken Anzu.  
  
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"KONICHIWAA MINA! Jounouchi here! Well ,well, well, looks like I found the one way to break a man like Kaiba! Ever since I kissed Kei on the cheek, he's shut himself away! HA! So, I guess she is up for fair game but, what's this? Why is she ignoring me? What did I do? Oh wait…okay never mind that. I guess she feels really bad, but I won't give her up! She deserves better then…then…Tenme Kaiba! Stayed tuned for the next episode of Runners High, "Let Me Be With You! The fight for Ishtar Kei!" Duel Standby! 


	8. Dreams Of Red

FW: *sighs* If no one reads this fic, then all the fans of Yami's Living Puzzle are going to get confused during Una's sequel. I am kinda concerned that no one is, seeing as how no one thanks Una for suggesting a funny fic, thus making me believe no one is reading this. If you are, please, please review, EVEN IF IT IS ONE WORD I WILL BE GRATEFUL…and give you a hug and a cookie!   
  
Mw: This is sad; we have to bribe people to read this!  
  
Fw: They may be reading it!  
  
Mw: Then what are we bribing them for?  
  
Fw: A review!  
  
Mw: *sweat drops*  
  
Fw: A review a review! Come on people we know you're out there! Two people have already reviewed who are naught but strangers to me! This writer is on a sugar and depression rush so grant her a little pity okeeeee? Why not reviewreviewreview! If you do, I will do anything you want me to! I shall jump through hoops of fire, swim through cold and rushing water! If you want me to strip down, I'll strip down!* strips down to expose organs*  
  
Mw: What the hell is wrong with you? *sweat drops* She never learns *rope falls down and MW pulls it, causing female writer to plummet down bottomless pit*  
  
Fw: HAIL REVIEWER-SAN!!!!!!  
  
Mw: We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but she owns Kasumi Motou and Kei Ishtar.   
  
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Seto lay alone on his bed, staring into the space that was his ceiling. He pondered why he was so angry with himself, because he was sure it wasn't all about Kei. No, something else was bothering him and he couldn't figure out what it was. The words that Kasumi had told him ran through his head again and again, in a repeating ever-sorrowful melody of unrequited love.   
  
"Or was it?" he pondered silently to himself, turning on his side. Every time he had ever seen Kasumi, ever since he met her in fact, they were rarely more then ten feet apart from each other. He even remembers of being attracted to her at one point. "Do I still love her?" Seto could not keep this question from running around his mind. He repeated to himself that he loved Kei, because for a strange reason, he always felt as if he had some connection with Kei, some spark, as if they knew each other from the moment they were born. Nevertheless, the deeper he thought of it, the more he considered the fact he felt the same thing around Kasumi. It was to strange, something not even he himself could prove scientifically.   
  
"What would make me love women like this? One is a psycho bitch lady, and the other is a complete doormat….two opposite ends of the spectrum, yet so alike…Kasumi wouldn't be caught dead with her hair down and in a dress, and vice versa for Kei…yet something about them…makes them so alike, what is it?! WHAT MAKES ME LOVE THEM?!" As suddenly as Seto uttered the last word aloud, it was as if the world around him collapsed. He felt as if he were being swept away by a large wind, yet nothing seemed disturbed, and soon the room went completely black. The young laughter of small children grew ever louder, and Seto recognized one of the voices as his own, the other, of his long lost friend, and first love, Keiko.  
  
~~I dream of rain~~  
  
~~I dream of gardens in the desert sand~~  
  
The first thing that came to his mind was pushing the little girl with big blue eyes and long blonde hair on the swing. Her bows were always bright and colorful, even when they became torn from climbing trees, or dampened by rain. The swing was attached to a large oak outside of Kaiba Mansion, and it was still there…  
  
~~I wake in vain~~  
  
~~I dream of love as time runs through my hand~~  
  
A small, shabby tent composed of sheet and towels, houses a smiling Mokuba, who sits in Keiko's lap as Seto, reads them a story aloud. With out knowing it, Seto nears the young girl holding his little brother, and she puts Mokuba down, looks as if she is going to kiss the young boy, and then tags his hand squealing: "Your it! Se-chan is it!!!" and running at full speed around the gardens.  
  
~~I dream of fire~~   
  
~~Those dreams that tie two hearts that will never die~~  
  
Seto leads Keiko to a small grove of sakura trees. She runs around catching the blossoms, saying that each one is a soul from the world, and if you keep catching them, you might find someone you know. Seto shrugs this off as Keiko being her insane little self…again. Keiko says she hopes to find her mother, and maybe Seto will find his parents, he just has to try. Seto lazily puts his hand out to catch some, but only two fall into his palm, out of hundreds, just two. "See? They never left you! Histori Ta nai yo! You just have to believe!" Keiko says, kissing him on the cheek, causing a large red blush to appear across the young boy's face.   
  
~~And near the flames~~  
  
~~The shadows play in the shape of the man's desire~~  
  
Seto ponders for a bit how she would look now. Would she have cut her hair short like she so desired, stating that women that look like women could fail to run a large company when their fathers pass it on to them. He always teased her, saying he couldn't love her if she looked like a man. She would no doubt be at least 5'6, since her father was tall…"Maybe, we will meet…"  
  
~~This desert rose~~  
  
~~Whose shadow bears the secret promise~~  
  
~~This desert flower~~  
  
~~No sweet perfume that would torture you more than this~~  
  
He remembers that she always smelled of flowers, and never the same one either. She was his little rose, through out some of his dark times with his stepfather. She always reminded him that she was there for him, as was Mokuba, no matter what her Uncle Gozaburo, as she liked to call him, did to him.   
  
~~And now she turns~~   
  
~~This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams~~  
  
~~This fire burns~~  
  
~~I realize that nothing's as it seems~~  
  
"Is…Is this the reason I love these two women? Because combined together, they fill a hole that had been long empty with her absence? But, then why, why oh God why can't I just have the one woman I love?! Why?!"  
  
~~I dream of rain~~  
  
~~I dream of gardens in the desert sand~~  
  
~~I wake in vain~~  
  
~~I dream of love as time runs through my hand~~  
  
He does his best to imagine how she would look. Long flowing blonde hair down to her waist, in a long flowing black dress, that would probably look like a combination of modern styles, yet flowed like dresses of times long past. Black was always her favorite color. Her blue green eyes would be contrasted with dark make-up, her long neck complemented with the finest jewels he could buy her, and the ring he had given her so long ago upon her finger, along with the necklace he had given her, with a crystal blue eyes on it. Though now it may act as more of a choker than a necklace….  
  
~~I dream of rain~~  
  
~~I lift my gaze to empty skies above~~  
  
~~I close my eyes~~   
  
~~The rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love~~  
  
Seto is being tormented by visions of his past love, no matter what he does; he cannot rid them from his mind. He is soon lost, drifting in and out of consciousness and his own memories.   
  
~~I dream of rain~~  
  
~~I dream of gardens in the desert sand~~  
  
~~I wake in vain~~  
  
~~I dream of love as time runs through my hand~~  
  
A voice, a soothing, young woman's voice gently chides Seto. "You're always feeling down aren't you? What ever happened to that cheerful little boy that used to push me on the swing? Did he grow up?"  
  
~Sweet desert rose~  
  
~Whose shadow bears the secret promise~  
  
Seto strained to open his eyes, but he just couldn't. The smell of white roses clung to the air and was making him very drowsy.  
  
~This desert flower~  
  
~No sweet perfume that would torture you more than this~  
  
"Kei-chan?" Seto asked, softly, afraid to say it aloud, as if he did, she would disappear.  
  
~Sweet desert rose~  
  
~This memory of hidden hearts and souls~  
  
In his dream like state, Seto lies on what seems to be nothing but air. Rose petals and sakura blossoms drift all around him, and he feels as if his head is cradled somewhere soft. A young woman's hand, takes his cold and icy hand into her own warm and welcoming hand. Her two hands caress his one and her voice is soothing.   
  
"I missed you for so long…where did you go? Where did your heart go? Has it become encased in ice? Or is there still hope?" The young girl said, and Seto could feel her bring his hand to her heart.   
  
"You are her, you're my Keiko….my sweet and insane little Keiko…" Seto was sure of this, even thought her face was shadowed.   
  
The girl's sweet laughter rings through out the vast area. "Yes, but do not think I left, for I am closer than I appear…"  
  
"Always with the riddles you're just like your father, I always knew insanity was hereditary."  
  
The blonde girl twisted his arm behind his back, playfully and gently. "Insane am I?…..ok so maybe I got us in a few strange situations but we both still alive ne?"  
  
"You had us going down a hill in an abandoned shopping cart, and that was the least insane thing you ever did." Seto said, smirking and laughing.   
  
"You have to go, Se-chan, you need to wake up."  
  
"I want to stay here forever, please, let me."  
  
"Gomen-ne…but someone needs you. If you need me, just close your eyes, and I'll be there." The blonde vanished in a swirl of blossoms and petals.  
  
~This desert flower~  
  
~This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love~  
  
Seto awoke, and was back in his dark room. His breath was short and his heart was racing. At first, he thought he was alone, until two cold blue eyes stared back at him.   
  
"You saw her, didn't you? Seto?" asked Shadi.  
  
"What? How-You…Is this normal?" Seto asked, giving up on asking how Shadi knew or why he was there.   
  
"When you began to be tormented by your feelings for two different women, you realized it all stemmed from your lack of the one you truly love. You have a connection few lovers can ever have. You can see each other, feel what the other is feeling, and even speak with each other, without actually being by each other's sides."  
  
"You're a raving lunatic! Who are you, how did you get in this room and how do you know Keiko?!"   
  
"I am just a messenger, here to tell you what you're going through. And now I must go. If you wish to find her, she is close yet far away. Farewell." Shadi said, his voice fading with him. Seto straight there, dumbfounded. He shakes his head and tells himself he needs to see sunlight because he is going crazy. After a quick shower, Seto puts on loose black pants, a black shirts and ((writers hold up a sign that says BA BUM BUM!!)) a black jacket. He wearily walks downstairs, pours himself some tea and begins to read a newspaper left on the counter. Some one knocks on the door, disturbing Seto's reading. He answers the door curtly, to a Chinese girl with large amber eyes, long purple hair and a Chinese dress, carrying a box with food in it.   
  
"Nihao!! The Nekohanten would like to welcome duelists! Please take free ramen as welcome! Shampoo's ramen is best in town! Shampoo is sure you will like it Mr. Blue eyes!" said the young woman, handing Seto the ramen.  
  
"Umm, thank you…" Seto said, making sure the door slammed in the girl's face.  
  
"Shampoo never seen such rude man! He must be from south Japan! Humph! Shampoo no serve here till rude man is gone!" The girl mutters to herself as she pedals off. "I curse this place with insanity! Dojo no longer nice place!"  
  
Seto still didn't feel hungry and labeled the Ramen "Masu Inu" and see if Jounouchi would actually pick it up later. He chuckled to himself. He was actually doing something somewhat entertaining. Keiko was already rubbing off on him. Was that lunatic actually right? No, impossible he thought. He sat back down, when Yami and Bakura came down fro breakfast, quarreling as usual.   
  
"Are you saying coconuts migrate?!" Bakura yelled.  
  
"Well, something gets them around the world!" Yami replied with.  
  
"Why not birds?"  
  
"A bird can not carry a five pound coconut over such a distance!"  
  
"Then how do they get to the store?! You ARE a brain-dead pharaoh!"  
  
Neither was prepared to see Seto Kaiba sitting in the kitchen, acting as if he had been there for the past three days.   
  
"WHAT?!! WHAT ARE--" The two men look back and forth at the stairs and Seto in very quick moments. Then they put a few things together. Seto is currently away from the public eye, to do as he pleases. The girl he currently has his sights set on is under the same roof. They put two and two together, get five and ask:  
  
"So, I guess we can't call you a boy anymore eh Kaiba? Taunted Yami.  
  
Seto just rolled his eyes and told them Kei was still asleep. In HER bed.   
  
"Your nothing but old perverts. Both of you." Seto scoffed, without even looking at the two.  
  
"Humph. Well I am got to see a lot of action in my time!" Bakura gloated. "Even more than you, pharaoh!"  
  
"Well at least my concubines were willing." Yami shot back.  
  
"….BRAIN DEAD PHARAOH!"  
  
Yami sweat dropped and the two began fighting. ((Writers sweat drop and hold up sign that says: Not this crap again!))  
  
Seto sighed and began checking his stocks. Again, he was interrupted. No, not by the door, not by Yami and Bakura, not by any of the others, but by something crawling around in the air vents. The three men looked up at the vent the most noise was emanating from, and prepared for the worst. Before any of them could react, Yami Malik fell out of the vent and dusted himself off. Grabbing a strange bag and saying nothing, he then tries to climb out the window, only to be fried by Bakura.  
  
"And where are you going?" Bakura asked  
  
"And what is in the bag?" Yami added.  
  
Seto picked up Malik and hung him upside down until the contents of the bag were strewn upon the floor. What was in there they were not prepared for.   
  
"P...P…PANTIES??!!!!" Seto yelled in horror  
  
"What the hell are you doing with women's panties?!!" Bakura screamed, dropping the bag as if it were soiled beyond all reason.  
  
"I told you he was a psycho…" Yami added coolly, putting the panties back in the bag and giving it to Malik.  
  
"Now you give these back you understand?!"  
  
"Yes Pharaoh." Malik said with a snicker as he went out the window.  
  
"BAKA!! You just let him off!" Bakura wailed.  
  
"He is just going to go out and steal more, it is common sense." Seto said, taking his seat.  
  
The room grew back to whatever was normal, Yami and Bakura becoming absorbed in an argument about women and why they wear panties of such different types and colors, when the ground began to shake. The three were startled and things began to fall down.  
  
"Earthquake?" Bakura guessed.  
  
Right after Bakura finished his fragment of a sentence, the ground by the pound outside the kitchen began to come up. Soon, a boy about sixteen and a girl in pigtails pop up out of the hole. The girl has a small pig on her head and the boy has a yellow bandana with black triangles on it. Both of them look confused and the boy states:  
  
"Where the hell are we now?"  
  
"We are back where we started darling, you got lost again." replied the young woman and the pig on her head gave a squeal of agreement. A black and white dog popped out next to the boy and nuzzled it's master.  
  
"Guess I am doomed to lack direction ne?"  
  
The two return the way they came, not caring to cover the hole they made in the yard.   
  
"Well, that was odd and random." Jounouchi said, blinking. He was in his pajamas standing in the door to the kitchen.  
  
"Mmmm something smells good!" he said, making his way for the bowl of ramen. "Hey, it has something written on it…." Jounouchi turns the bowl so he can see the name. "…Masu…Inu?!!! WHY YOU--YOU--hey wait, why are you up? I thought I had finally gotten to your big fat ego by taking your girlfriend and-" Jounouchi's mouth is covered by Yami's hand.  
  
"Enough Jounouchi."  
  
"Hmph. She loves me not you." Seto snorted.  
  
"Oh yeah, well, well Kasumi has the hots for me not you!"  
  
"Actually inu, it's the other way around as well. Just go back to that girl Mai, you make a good couple, she can actually keep you on a leash." he said laughing as he traveled out of the kitchen.  
  
Seto could hear Jounouchi cursing him, and he was ignoring it. Right now he was trying to figure out how he had exactly seen Keiko.   
  
"Ta-kun what's up?"  
  
But that would have to wait, as Kasumi wrapped her arms around Seto and embraced him.  
  
"Do you need anything, I'll get whatever you want, promise!" Kasumi said, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at him. Seto told her everything, and instead of telling him it was all a dream, she understood him.  
  
"Ta-kun, we all get signs in our life at one time or another, to do something, to become someone, to change the world. Yours is to find this girl, whoever or wherever she may be. And I hope you know, I'll be right there with ya, and so will Kei, and Yuugi-tatchi! Never feel alone in anything you do, because you never are." Kasumi smiled. Seto realized that, as noble as she was, she was hurting inside, but she knew it was the right thing to let him go.   
  
"Kasumi, I…I want you to know something…I…I love you." Seto said, taking the woman who drove him absolutely off the walls and kissing her.   
  
Kasumi gently nuzzled Seto, but told him it isn't meant to be.   
  
"We aren't destined for one another, and neither are you and Kei. Your destined for this girl Keiko, and you need to find her. And don't worry, if no one else wants to, I'll help, I promise." Kasumi sealed this promise with a kiss on his cheek, and he sealed his promise to protect her, and Kei and also to find Keiko, with a kiss to her hand.   
  
The two go their separate ways, Kasumi to make breakfast and Seto to tell Kei about his vision.   
  
Two eyes appear from the darkness, and they spell evil.   
  
"Such a pity I need to destroy this peaceful setting. But nothing can ever stay peaceful. Prepare duelists, for trials the likes of which you have never seen before!" the voice fades out with insane laughter.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kasumi: Yo! Minna-san! The female writer is taking the story into her own hands! What are we going to do?! And who is this strange girl?! The finals begin, well sort of. Lets just say it's not your traditional way of card dueling…WHAT?! SOMEONE IS TAKING OVER TA-KUN'S TOURNAMENT?! Stayed tuned for the next episode of Runners High! Beginning of The Revolution! Duel Standby!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Histori Ta nai yo - You aren't alone (quoted from Rei *Sailor Mars* of Sailor Moon)  
  
Insert Song: Desert Rose- Sting  
  
Nekohanten: Restaurant in the Ranma ½ universe owned by Shampoo and her Obaba, with her two younger sisters.  
  
Young Boy, dog, and pig girl: Ryouga, his dog Checkers and Aki (his wife, I forget if that is her name XP)  
  
Shampoo, Ryouga, Checkers, and all characters not related to YGO are property of Rumiko Takahashi.   
  
FW: What do we have in store next? Wait and see! I am plotting things not even Una and the male writer know!  
  
Una+MW: WHAT?!  
  
FW: That's right, I am changing my storyline from what I told you guys! MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  
  
Una: SO much for the drama, it's gonna be all comedy now.  
  
MW: Or really really crappy  
  
FW: *hits MW with mallet* Do you always have to be so negative about me doing things with out consulting other people?!  
  
MW: Yes.   
  
FW: *Face vault*  
  
Una: Stay tuned folks! 


	9. Rinbu Revolution

FW: It is true; I am taking over the story. *evil cackle* and there is nothing you can do so NYAH!  
  
MW: Wait, you are in Lake Ellsinore, how can you write this?  
  
FW: Do the words laptop computer mean anything to you?  
  
MW: *censored swear*  
  
FW: We do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own Keiko, Kei Ishtar and Kasumi Motou.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kei sat on her bed, trying not to cry. Seto had told her about his vision and although from being raised by Isis taught her this was a vision, she could not help herself from crying. Seto gently held her close as she sobbed.   
  
"Cry all you want, cry until you feel better, I swear I won't let you go."  
  
"I swear my life to you, what you wish I shall grant you, Seto-sama." Kei said, holding back sobs to get it out.   
  
"You know, Kasumi-chan told me the same thing. I love the both of you, but I finally see why."  
  
"We remind you of this girl Keiko ne?"  
  
"Yes, and I feel stupid for saying so."  
  
Kei stopped crying a stood up. She smiled at Seto saying that today the finals would begin. She kissed him one last time and ran off to get breakfast.  
  
Now alone, Seto wondered if he could try to talk to her again. Seto closed his eyes and his world became surreal, as if he was standing on water, and rose petals and sakura blossoms floated in the water and drifted lazily from the never-ending sky. Soon, a young girl glomped him from behind.  
  
"I was wondering how long it would be…"  
  
"Until I came back?"  
  
Keiko giggled. She began to nip his ear, and he let her down. Keiko smiled at him, and even thought he could not see her face, he thought she was beautiful. He came closer to embrace her, but she vanished, leaving him back in the real world.  
  
Seto sighed and made his way downstairs. The table was full of food, and people. Everyone but Kasumi was there. Kei sat happily next to Yami, chatting away with him. Seto smiled because she was happy, he could feel it. "Take care of her Mou hitori no Yuugi," he thought to himself. Mai was prodding Jounouchi about his behavior for the past few days, and Isis, Malik, and Rishid were grinding on Marik for his behavior and stealing of women's panties, while he pleaded insanity ((Writers: *holds up sign that reads: Try harder Mari-kun, we know your insane*)). Soon after breakfast, everyone boarded the blimp and the takeoff went on without a problem. ((Writers: YAY!)).   
  
Seto once again, locked himself away from the others, with only Mokuba at his side, as they awaited to arrive at their destination. The control deck had windows that let him view the entire ocean, and see the endless sky. He was painfully reminded of the fact that he broke the hearts of two girls, for the love of a woman, that he is unsure actually exists anymore. Suddenly the blimp came to a lurching stop, causing everyone to fall over. Instead of beginning to decline, the blimp stayed floating in mid-air. Yuugi-tatchi came running in, and asked what all the commotion was about. Yami took control of Yuugi ((Yamis and Hikaris now sharing bodies again)) and demanded what was going on.  
  
"Heh, someone has taken control of the blimp…what fun," a sarcastic Bakura added.  
  
"HEY THEY ARE STEALING MY JOB!" Malik screamed in a rage  
  
A voice, an old, evil voice, came through speakers on the ship.   
  
"Pardon my intrusion, but I believe I shall take control now."  
  
Seto was outraged. "As if that midget Noa wasn't enough…we have more freaks out to kill myself and the other duelists."  
  
"Maybe you're the victim in all this." Bakura scowled at Seto  
  
Seto just growled at Bakura. Yami continued where Seto left off.  
  
"Just what is it you want from us? Our items?"  
  
"I have no interest in those trinkets just yet. I need to reveal a bit of the past to you all."  
  
The group was confused. No one fully understood what he was saying, save Isis, Rishid and Malik.   
  
"He is here to show us a part of the past that occurred to those who have been re born." Isis said, calmly.  
  
Seto scowled. "Not this fairy tale again. My past is behind me, and I do not believe I was some servant of a dead pharaoh who has now resurrected in the body of Yuugi Motou!"   
  
"Can you leave me out of this? Even for a second?" A transparent Yuugi wondered to his other side.   
  
"Correct me if I am wrong, but there appears to be some one absent no?"  
  
The group was in shock. They all remembered that Kei and Kasumi were not present. Anzu began worry about their safety.  
  
"IF you DARE lay one hand on them you WILL answer to me!" Seto shouted at their invisible captor.  
  
"Do not worry, for the girl is safe."  
  
"You mean both girls, right?"  
  
"Like I said, the girl is fine."  
  
Everyone was confused at this remark, but they had no time to ponder it. The duelists and those who were capable of dueling were ordered to pick a weapon and a flower of their choice. Seto and Yami stepped up first, Seto picking a white rose and a rapier, Yami picking a red rose and a thin broad sword ((Writers hold up picture of Shinken from X…just think of a somewhat medium sized sword in width, and very long…and NO that was not a perverted comment XD)). Jounouchi and Mai took their flowers next.   
  
"Something exotic, something that smells beautiful…"  
  
"Something as conceited as you are  
  
Mai pounded Jounouchi on the head and took a stem of jasmines for hers. Mai's eye was caught by what looked to be a whip, but when she picked it up, it seemed to be…alive. The sword reacted to the new master by growing blades from sides of the whip.  
  
"Umm, not my idea of a nice toy…but if you're using it Mai, why no-" Jounouchi becomes cut off by Mai elbowing him in the stomach.   
  
"Ite…."   
  
"Make your pick, blonde boy…" The voice was growing impatient.  
  
"Fine fine, shut it you old bag!" Jounouchi looked through the weapons and picked out a very large and curved sword ((Tetsaiga on Jenny Craig anyone? *writers are mauled*)) and for his flower, he picked a white chrysanthemum.   
  
"Next, Next, you girl! With the short brown hair! And the one with the rhino for a hair do! Make your pick!"  
  
"Talk about being pushy…." Anzu muttered with a sweat drop as she chose a lily and attached some elbow blades to her arms ((looks like sai attached to large arm bracelets with a handle for control)).   
  
"RHINO FOR HAIR?!!! WHY I OUGHTA!!"  
  
"Honda-kun! Just hurry up and pick before he gets real angry ok?" Anzu chided  
  
Honda thus chose a cactus flower, and for his weapon, he chose a long pole with a long blade attached to the end.   
  
"Will anyone else choose to duel in this?"  
  
Isis, Rishid and Malik stepped forward. Isis chose a lotus for her flower, as did Rishid, but his was red, hers was white. Isis' weapon of choice was an old looking Egyptian sword. Rishid chose what looked to be an arsenal of throwing daggers. Bakura stepped up next, and took a large dandelion for his flower. He pondered at the weapons available.   
  
((Writers: You know those weeds that just WON'T die….   
  
Bakura: HEY!!!! *Bakura chucks shoe at writers*   
  
MW: HONESTLY, WHO THROWS A SHOE?!!!   
  
Bakura: I DO!!! WHY I OUGHTA!  
  
FW: *pauses show and has the will of the macro chasm from Excel Saga come along {she looks like a round universe with arms XP} and rewinds to where Bakura was choosing his flower* Arigatou Ms. Will  
  
Ms. Will: So much to do, so little time…..))  
  
"I think I will take this…" Bakura said, picking up a sharp sword curved into a flying disc.   
  
Malik was pushed up by Rishid, and unfortunately, one weapon was left, and it had a sign saying "reserved" on it. He growled and went to chose his flower, and the only one left was a….  
  
"A PANSY?!! YOU EXPECT ME TO WEAR A PANSY?!"  
  
The group stifled laughs as Malik glared at them, looking as if he was going to use the Rod to rip their hearts out.  
  
"Now, why don't you all go to the top and we'll begin. Anyone unwilling to do so will suffer…certain consequences…" the old man cackled.   
  
"BUT WHAT ABOUT ME?!" Ootogi shouted.   
  
"You my friend, have to watch over the younger children, seeing has how you have little experience in anything that does not involve dice."  
  
Ootogi growled, until Shizuka held his arm, asking if he would protect her. Ootogi smiled at her and Mokuba, promising he wouldn't let them get hurt, but they had to help him if anyone else got hurt.   
  
"Now, lets us begin…."  
  
The group was directed to the top of the blimp, where it seemed as if they were moving, only the darkness had surrounded them, and the winds were high. A large gust of wind blew, and sent shivers down the group's spine.  
  
"Ah, our last player has finally arrived, forgive her, she is shy."  
  
Another wind blew the blonde hair of a young girl in sight. She slowly stepped out to the arena, wearing long black pants, and a short shirt, with a black rose as her flower. She had a locket and a beautiful choker around her neck. Another gust of wind blew her hair all around, and she looked at them with cold, dead blue green eyes. This sent shivers down the spines of everyone more so than the wind ever could.   
  
"Who are you?" Yami demanded, taking over Yuugi, and Bakura took over Ryou, backing up Yami ((for once)).   
  
"Who I am is of no importance to you, but why I am here is of great importance."  
  
"Then why don't you hurry and tell us? Just for your info, I am kinda freezing my ass off bitch!" Jounouchi yelled, wanting to get started so her could warm up.  
  
"So rude. You must not have been raised with a mother, just like me. My mother died when I was two, how about yours? Illness? Miscarriage?"  
  
"Why the fuck do you care and what does that have to do with anything?!"  
  
"I see, divorce, pity, I sense a great power from within you."  
  
"Listen, could you just tell us who you are? Please?" Anzu asked in a timid voice.  
  
The girl drew one of her two katana and pointed it at Yami. Her stare was enough to meld Yami to the very spot he was standing at.  
  
"My name is Keiko Cynthia Crawford. You killed my father, prepare to die."  
  
((FW: Wow, nice use of the Princess bride….))  
  
No one dared to move. Keiko kept her stance, ready to strike whenever she pleased. She did not mean to take his rose and knock him out, she meant to kill him, and slowly.   
  
"Your…your…" Honda stammered  
  
"It can't be…" Anzu said, filled with more fear than before.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH KEI AND KASUMI BITCH!" Jounouchi screamed, running to choke her but not before she raised her other katana to his throat.   
  
"I am not Kei, yet I am. I am not Kasumi yet I am. Did you never figure it out? I was Kei and Kasumi, they were the same person. Did you not notice they were never seen together?"  
  
"Why? Why would you do this?!" Shizuka said, near tears and feeling betrayed.  
  
"Why? Simple, so I could kill the one that took everything away from me. The one who made my life a living hell. First disease took my mother when I was barely a year old, and I blame myself for she became deathly ill after giving life to me. Then, you, you nameless pharaoh, took and crushed the soul of the one I loved away. You hurt him so badly inside he was starting to forget me, and was becoming obsessed with beating you! Even though I was not there, I could feel it, I could sense it. And after that, you killed my father after defeating him and stole his Sennen Eye! ((Sennen= Millennium)) That, Shizuka, is why. Revenge, the bittersweet taste of revenge."  
  
Their captor's voice began to cackle.  
  
"Not just yet my dear, you have to win the melee before you can kill him. Now everyone, chose your ranks. Will you be on the side of darkness, or the side of light? The side of the white rose or the side of the red? Chose."  
  
Mai, Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu went without hesitation to the side of Yami. Seto, Isis, Rishid, Malik and Bakura went to the side of Keiko. Bakura was only siding with her, because he felt a large pang of guilt, seeing as how she was blaming someone else for a crime he committed, and he didn't know why he was feeling guilty either. The mood was tense, and soon, the swords would be flying, and the danger would be very real. A last gust of wind blew across the stage, and the signal to begin was given.  
  
The group was merciless in attacking one another. Even though they could feel blades cut them, they felt no pain nor drew blood. Within minutes the first flower had been struck. Rishid had dived to save Isis from a straight stab in the back by Jounouchi. Everyone paused when the last petal dropped off and drifted away. Rishid stood for a minute, complemented Jounouchi on the swipe, and feel face first towards the ground. Apparently, it was figured the flowers held control of your consciousness, and when destroyed, you were out. More slashes, more sounds of metal striking metal. Ootogi was cautiously taking whomever fell to safety by the place where he, Mokuba and Shizuka stood, watching in shock and horror. One by one, the flowers were struck clean off their owners. Anzu fell to Isis, who fell to a slash from Honda. Mai was brutally struck by Malik, who in turn got his head nearly chopped off by Jounouchi. After a half an hour of fighting, Jounouchi and Yami were left to face off between Keiko and Seto.   
  
"Hmm, Mou hitori no Yuugi, let me take the two timing bitch, and you take Mr. Ego Brain over there."   
  
"Jounouchi, you take Kaiba, I need to deal with her. It's somewhat personal when you are accused of murder."  
  
Jounouchi nodded and began to square off with Jounouchi. There were many swears, insults and bits of unruly conduct between the two. Jounouchi asked why Seto fought, when the love both women held for him was a lie. Seto shook his head and said it wasn't a lie.   
  
"And why not?"  
  
"She would be my fiancé. I was set to marry her from the time we were children. That's why, masu inu."  
  
Whoever was left conscious stood in complete shock.   
  
"A fiancé…Seto Kaiba, and Keiko Crawford…shouldn't they want to rip each other throats out?" Ootogi pondered to Shizuka and Mokuba.  
  
"Onee-san, what happened to you?" Mokuba said, his voice drifting off.  
  
"Fiancé or not she is still a conniving bitch for two timing us and-" Before Jounouchi could finish his sentence, the last petal of his flower drifted away. Seto kicked Jounouchi's limp body on the floor, remarking "No one dares call her a bitch."  
  
Yami was now faced with a challenge. He tried to think of a way out, but for the moment he was cornered. Seto stood between the two, his sword pointed at Yami, his eyes looking cold and dead.   
  
"OUT OF MY WAY SETO! I WANT TO KILL HIM!"  
  
Seto turned to the young girl, sheathed his sword and held her close.   
  
"I will not let you do this alone. If you really want to face him alone, you'd have to kill me, and you know that."  
  
Keiko looked up into the eyes of the man she loved. Her eyes filled with sorrow at what she had to do. She had to do this alone. She couldn't let him protect her from everything. He let go of her and stood there. He kissed her hand and said he understands what she feels. Keiko clenched her eyes shut, and took a deep breath.  
  
~I'm gonna wake up, yes and no  
  
I'm gonna kiss some part of  
  
I'm gonna keep this secret  
  
I'm gonna close my body now~  
  
"Gomenasai, Seto."  
  
"Aishiteru, Keiko."  
  
~I guess, die another day  
  
I guess, die another day  
  
I guess, die another day  
  
I guess, die another day~  
  
Seto watched as his last petal floated off. Keiko's eyes were filled with tears and she held him close. Yami was confused. Keiko kissed Seto's forehead and whispered into his ear "I'll avenge what he did to you as well, love."  
  
Fear gripped Yami as she stood to her full height, and she was as tall as he was. Maybe taller.   
  
"For the crimes you have committed against the ones I love, you shall pay."  
  
~I guess I'll die another day  
  
[Another day]  
  
I guess I'll die another day  
  
[Another day]  
  
I guess I'll die another day  
  
[Another day]  
  
I guess I'll die another day~  
  
Yami sensed she wasn't like this normally. He could feel a great amount of sadness from her because of what she was doing. But he couldn't forgive her for trying to kill him. He was the pharaoh. No one tried to kill him. He would just have to kill her.   
  
~I'm gonna break the cycle  
  
I'm gonna shake up the system  
  
I'm gonna destroy my ego  
  
I'm gonna close my body now~  
  
"Considering the circumstances against me, I could just throw the battle giving you your revenge."  
  
"Then where's the fun in that?"  
  
Yami smirked. He hadn't seen w woman like this in ages. Something stirred in his memories from the past, but he blocked them out for now. It was not the time to wallow in millennia old memories.  
  
~I think I'll find another way  
  
There's so much more to know  
  
I guess I'll die another day  
  
It's not my time to go~  
  
The two began to fight. The air around them grew warm with their energy. Yami was able to knock away one o her katana, while delivering a nasty cut to her hand. Her left hand out of order, Keiko fought back using her only hand, while using her left as a balance.   
  
~For every sin, I'll have to pay  
  
I've come to work, I've come to play  
  
I think I'll find another way  
  
It's not my time to go~  
  
"This is getting quite boring and repetitive. Let's add some spice to it." The old man cackled.  
  
Yami and Keiko looked to where the voice was coming from, but soon collapsed in pain. Wounds appeared all over their bodies, and some were bleeding quite profusely. Yami took the chance from her suffering from her many wounds, and knocked her other sword away. He held his sword to her throat. He was about to knock her rose off, when he heard a familiar clicking.  
  
~I'm gonna avoid the cliché  
  
I'm gonna suspend my senses  
  
I'm gonna delay my pleasure  
  
I'm gonna close my body now~  
  
Keiko now looked up at him with a loaded gun pointed between his eyes. Blood was running down her arms, and stained the handle of the gun. Yami dropped his sword and back away.  
  
"You cheated"  
  
"Business woman."  
  
"Noted. But I thought you wanted me to suffer. Now your just going to shoot me? How boring and painless."  
  
"If I shoot you between the eyes yes, but, if I shoot you between the legs we have different problem."  
  
"Not one to screw around are you?"  
  
~I guess, die another day  
  
I guess I'll die another day  
  
I guess, die another day  
  
I guess I'll die another day~  
  
"You like games, don't you?"  
  
"It's only what my name means. King of Games."  
  
Keiko smirked. She readied the gun to shoot and placed it on the floor between them.   
  
"You know, one day, I am going to have to kill you."  
  
"I'll be waiting for that day"  
  
~I think I'll find another way  
  
There's so much more to know  
  
I guess I'll die another day  
  
It's not my time to go~  
  
Yami gave Keiko the responsibility of spinning the gun. She explained the rules. If it points at you, your dead, if it points at someone else, they are dead. If it points into an empty space, you must remove one bullet from the gun. Six chances of any of this happening. What Yami didn't know, is there is always seven bullets in a gun.   
  
The first spin pointed to nowhere. Keiko removed a bullet. The next four spins were pointing to nowhere, and they each had removed some bullets. Shizuka, Ootogi and Mokuba held on to each other for safety.   
  
"I can understand why she hates Mou Hitori No Yuugi, and why she wants to kill him. I went through the same thing." Ootogi said.  
  
"She wouldn't kill us right, Mokuba-kun?"  
  
Mokuba shook his head. He said he was surprised she even made it this far with out stopping herself.   
  
"She loves everyone and everything, unless you really hurt her, and she thinks that's what he has done…"  
  
Shizuka was crying for Keiko. "She must be so alone and afraid…."  
  
The gun spun around again. Nowhere. They now each had three bullets.  
  
"Ah, it is a draw. What shall we do now?"  
  
"Who said it was a draw? Don't you know there is always a bullet in the chamber?"  
  
Yami took a step back. He hadn't counted on that. What made him feel worse was it was her turn. She spun the gun and it seemed like all eternity passed before it slowed down.  
  
~I guess, die another day  
  
I guess I'll die another day  
  
I guess, die another day  
  
I guess I'll die another day~  
  
Everyone was tense as to where it would stop. The turns were slower and slower. It passed Ootogi, Mokuba, Shizuka, and Yami, and finally stopped, pointing at something.   
  
~Another day  
  
Another day~  
  
It pointed at Keiko. She stared at the gun, without any regret or remorse. She picked it up, and readied it to shoot.  
  
~I guess, die another day  
  
I guess I'll die another day  
  
I guess, die another day  
  
I guess I'll die another day~  
  
"Now it comes to this. I feel so terrible for leaving without at least marrying Seto, or avenging the death of my father, but Fate plays strange hands. I guess it's time to fold my hand."  
  
"You wouldn't need to ask me what to do with yourself."  
  
"I see you hate me with passion. Understandable. I did try to take your head off. You there, girl with the ponytail with earring and flat chest, what do you think of me?"  
  
"One: I'm A GUY! Two: It's alright, I get it a lot. Three: I am Ryuji Ootogi. I held your father as an idol, and I can comprehend why you feel so much pain. I carry no grudges against you. I have heard of the real you from him. It's sad I had to meet you when your in such a state. You looked and acted so cute before."  
  
"Thank you, Ootogi. You, next to Mokuba-kun, your name was Shizuka was it not?"  
  
"Hai, and I don't think you deserve to die. I don't think this was right, but we all do things like this when we are desperate. I know most of my friends will not forgive you for a long time, if at all, but you shouldn't end it all! You have a man that loves you, and his little brother looking up to you. I know you have gone through something that makes you feel cold and alone, but you'll always have someone by your side."  
  
Mokuba just ran up and hugged Keiko, asking her not to leave him.  
  
"Please, go back to they way you were, please."  
  
Keiko couldn't stand anymore. She collapsed from blood loss. Her clothes were soaked in her blood, as was the handle of the gun. The gun slid away from her, and Yami picked it up. He walked over to her and pointed it right at her rose.   
  
Mokuba looked up at Yami, his eyes filled with tears.   
  
"What…are…you…waiting…for?" Keiko asked, taking in air after each word.  
  
~Another day  
  
Another day~  
  
"STOP!!!" Yuugi was holding on to Yami's arm.  
  
"Yu-Yuugi…why are you trying to save me?"  
  
The group stared at her in disbelief. She could SEE both Yami and Yuugi, not to mention the difference between them.  
  
"Please, stop, Mou Hitori No Boku, don't you understand? She is just lost and confused, please, let her live! For me, please." Yuugi's eyes were filling with tears, as he forced himself to take over. Yuugi tossed the gun off the blimp, and ordered Ootogi to get some bandages and Shizuka to get some blankets. Mokuba looked from his older brother, to his someday to be sister in law. Suddenly, they could hear his voice, and the blimp was starting to lose control. It was shaking violently.  
  
Yuugi just remembers a cackling voice, and a large flash appearing. The next thing he knows, it looks as if he was dueling some one, but who ever it is was long gone. Everyone else seemed just as puzzled. Seto stared at Yuugi from below, and took Mokuba back to the control room.   
  
"Hoy….where did Isis go? And Rishid, Malik and that girl….did they disappear?"  
  
"Hey Honda, what was that girl's name?"  
  
"I…I don't know…."  
  
Yuugi had a look of shock on his face. No one remembered her name. He barely did, but he wasn't telling them. The blimp took a U-turn and headed back for Domino city. Ootogi, Shizuka and Yuugi confided in one another that maybe they would see Keiko again, and maybe they could really get to be friends.   
  
Keiko stared up at the starry night sky. Her arms were bandaged as well as her hands. You could see them under her arm warmers. You could see the bandages under her pant legs as she walked into the darkness, meeting with Isis and Rishid.  
  
"Why did you do such a thing when I told you not to. He is your pharaoh and you are supposed to fall in love with him." Isis said, a look of concern for the health of her student.  
  
"I do not love him. I told you. I have had my own visions. I was with the one destined to be the pharaoh after him."  
  
"You mean his brother?" Rishid asked. "Or maybe his son?"  
  
"His brother died protecting him and he died without bearing an heir. I am destined to love, the man who made the tablet."  
  
Isis sighed. Maybe her visions and Keiko's were missing a few details. She would talk with Keiko later, but she ushered the two into a waiting car. Isis needed to get Keiko to her new home with her fiancé. She would start school soon. Isis prayed to the gods for one thing.  
  
Keiko's redemption. She was going to Domino High School, and Isis feared the worst for her. Keiko looked out the window the entire time. She held her gun in her hand, and slipped it into the back of her tight super low black jeans.   
  
"Will you ever forgive him?" Rishid ask her.  
  
"No."  
  
"Child, you need to clear your thoughts. I know you hold something against him, but do not show it. He is destined to be a great ruler again. You must listen to him."  
  
"Then I will remain silent, but I can't hold my temper forever."  
  
"You're leaning in the same direction that took over my dear brother. Please don't go down the same road he did."  
  
"He wanted power. I just want him to suffer. But I will never get that chance will I?"  
  
Keiko began to stare at the black velvet sky. She remembered what they had said to one another.  
  
"One day I will have to kill you."  
  
"I'll be waiting for that day."  
  
"I will to, Mou hitori no Yuugi. You just wait."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Keiko: Yo. I guess all of you think I am sadistic little angst filled bitch right? Well just gimme a chance to come outta my shell, just gimme a second chance, please! I know you can all find it in your hearts, but can Yuugi-tatchi find it in theirs? Next time on Runners High, A Bottle of Emotions, Keiko emerges! Duel Standby!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Insert Song: "Die Another Day" by Madonna. 


	10. Ampheatamine

FW: So, after the dramatic last chapter, I think we all need a little insanity and getting to know the REAL Keiko  
  
MW: An insane, blonde, and intelligent little girl.  
  
FW: I know she seems like a bitch now, but you just wait ok?  
  
MW: We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but she owns Keiko Crawford.  
  
FW: Warning. Lemony and fluff abounds. You have been warned.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She was willing to become friends with anyone but him. She loathed Yami with a passion, but she would have to play getting along with him, until she had a chance. She could separate the boys, and make it all look like a terrible accident. She would have to. It was the only way she wouldn't take an innocent life. The car pulled up to Kaiba Mansion, and she took her bags inside. Obaba and her fellow servant, a tall, kindly man in his fifties with an eye patch ((Norman from Big O anyone? XP)) threw a joyous fit over her coming to live with them. They had no idea of what she was planning. She felt a lot happier to be surrounded by people that loved her as much as they did. Seto came home, and ran to her. He picked her up and spun her around, as they both laughed. They shared a long embrace, and for the first time in a long while, she smiled. She giggled, and tried taking one step down the stairs, only succeeding in tripping herself and sliding down the rest of the stairs.   
  
"Klutz." Seto mocked, helping her up.  
  
Keiko held him close and asked to talk to him alone.   
  
  
  
Seto took her to his room, shut the door and sat on his bed next to her. Seto held her close, asking what was wrong.  
  
"Will they forgive me for what I tried to do Seto?"  
  
"I don't know. I know Yuugi feels for you. He'll always be there for you when I'm not there to protect you. I know you don't like it, but, I love you. When your hurt, I just can't explain what goes on inside of me. Instincts take over."  
  
"I know your sad…why?"  
  
"Because, that crazy little girl I loved seems to have disappeared. I guess time has had dire effects on both of us."  
  
"Seto, I haven't changed, I just…I just…have gone through a rough time…I just want to kill him so bad.."  
  
"Killing someone won't make anything better. Trust me." ((MW: You should know *FW snickers*))  
  
"I feel so idiotic for doing all of this. What can I do to feel better?"  
  
Seto began a longwinded and complicated speech about asking for forgiveness, and being very polite to Yuugi-tatchi. He finished his little speech and noticed Keiko was staring at the ceiling.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I got bored so I started counting dots on the ceiling. It's fun."  
  
Seto face vaulted. For such an intelligent girl, she was so…so…so…blonde.  
  
"Wanna go outside and count stars? Lets see how long takes before we lose count!"  
  
"Count stars? Why? Isn't that a bit…childish?"  
  
"What's wrong with acting like a kid?"  
  
"Nothing…I guess…"  
  
Keiko dragged Seto took the balcony outside. She stared up at the sky, and began counting the stars. Seto was more interested in what she had become. Her legs were very long, taking up a good part of her body. Her low rise tight jeans accented her legs perfectly. Her choice in shirts was a tad strange to Seto, because she was wearing a tight black tube top that showed a lot of her nicely toned stomach. Seto saw a small glimmer, and saw she had pierced her belly button. Her long blonde hair hung down to her waist. Her mouth was in an open smile as she counted aloud, her little fang looked adorable on her. Her eyes shone, until she got confused.   
  
"Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen…uhhh...Seto…did I count that one already?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Okay!" she said with a cute smile that made Seto's heart beat faster. Seto moved closer to her, so close they were right next to each other. Seto put his arm around her waist, and brought her right in front of him.  
  
"Aishiteru, Kei-chan." He whispered in her ear, gently nipping it.  
  
Keiko was turning a bright red and she began to stammer. He thought it was adorable when she did that. He slowly turned her around, brought her close, and kissed her. She reacted after a while, and wrapped her arms around his back. He nuzzled her gently, and they watched as a shooting star flew by.  
  
"Did you make a wish?"  
  
"I did…"  
  
"And what was it?" Seto asked, kissing her gently on the cheek.  
  
"That everyone would forgive me for what I did."  
  
"Don't worry about it. You'll live longer."  
  
Seto gingerly kissed her neck, and sat her on the balcony rail.   
  
"Your eyes are as beautiful as the heavens above."  
  
Keiko just blushed. Seto toyed with the choker he had given her so many years ago.  
  
"A good thing like this should be followed by something better"  
  
Keiko tilted her head to the side, with a confused look on her face as he took off the choker. "Oro?"  
  
Seto took the small crystal Blue Eyes and placed it on a real gold chain, and placed it around her neck.   
  
Keiko looked at the necklace. "Meow?" she said softly, then proceeded to glomp Seto.  
  
"Ore no Neko-chan" ((My little Cat)). He began to gently run his hands up and down her back as he kissed her neck and shoulders. She was giggling and kissing his cheek. They were about to kiss again when they heard a small voice from the garden below.  
  
"Nii-sama, get a room."  
  
Keiko began to laugh out loud, and Seto chucked something at Mokuba, who ran away laughing with his little group of buddies.   
  
"Man is that your brother's girlfriend?"  
  
"She's hot!"  
  
Mokuba laughed at his friends, who kept looking back at Keiko, who was waving at them and giggling like crazy. They didn't expect her to leap into the tree next to the balcony, run after them and hug them all at once like little plushies.  
  
Seto chuckled at his fiancé. "This is one of the things I love her for."  
  
"Where are you little kids going so late at night? Can I come? Pleeeeeease?"  
  
The boys stared at her in disbelief, blinked twice and ran.  
  
"She's hot but she's fucking strange!!!"  
  
Keiko sat on the ground, anime tears coming from her eyes. "I wanted ice cream…"  
  
Seto picked her up and said he'd take her out for a night on the town, but Keiko shook her head. Seto laughed and carried her inside. Keiko clung to him, wanting to sit and watch a movie together, but Seto had work.   
  
"Is this all you do now a days?"  
  
"Mostly, but I swear I'll cut some time for you."  
  
"Or else, I'll sic an army of evil penguins on you."  
  
Seto sweat drops, and doesn't bother asking. He walks up the stairs to his office and closes the door. Keiko sits on the couch for a minute to make sure no one is around, then she flips over the couch, puts on her tattered, lucky Converse shoes, puts a red and black hair band in her hair, puts on purple and black arm warmers, black ripped up jeans that are tight and super low, with her favorite small black shirt. She checks herself in the mirror, "borrows" some money from Seto's wallet and picked out a set of keys.   
  
She jumped at the car the keys started. Well, it wasn't a car. It was Seto's pride and joy, his custom motorcycle. She placed a helmet on and took off at top speed, letting her senses tell her where to go. When she got closer to downtown, she discovered a place with many loud, late night clubs. She poked around each one for a little while, trying to decide which one to go to on a normal basis.   
  
"Not quite like the clubs back in L.A. or London, but it'll do." she sighed. Places like this were a haven for her. Somewhere where she could be anyone she wanted to. She stepped up to the dance floor and quickly had many people fail at surpassing her in dance moves. She looked at her watch some hours later and realized that she should get back.  
  
"Hey you! What's your name?" a tall man with dreadlocks asked.  
  
"My name….my name is Amphetamine, and don't you forget it!" Keiko said, using the name of the song she considered her theme. She drove home, hoping Seto hadn't noticed her disappearance. Luckily for her he hadn't. She put on her pajamas and crept to his office, and watched him from the door, peeking in and out like a little child.   
  
"I know you are there, and you should get to bed. You have to start school in the morning."  
  
Keiko had little dot eyes, an x for a mouth and a small chibi like face.   
  
"Phweeeeee."  
  
"I know you don't want to go alone. I still have to go to school to."  
  
"So why aren't you going to bed?"  
  
"Work."  
  
"Do you even sleep?"  
  
"…..just go to bed."  
  
Keiko giggled and teased Seto to the point where he chased her into her room. He knew the next day was going to be very hard. In fact, the next few months may be hard on her. But he swore he would be there for her. He gently flicked off her light and shut the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seto woke Keiko up early so they could have breakfast together before school. He chose a nice little café by the school. She looked quite attractive in her school uniform, embarrassed at the fact she was wearing pink. The color she had hated for as long as he could remember. The only pink things she didn't hate were roses, sakura blossoms, Card Captor Sakura, Chibi Usa and Utena. ((Writers: XD!))   
  
"You look cute in that uniform. And having your hair in a bow like Minako's makes you look cuter. ((Note: Minako is the original name for Mina in Sailor Moon))  
  
"I hate pink, and I hate skirts. Can't I wear a longer skirt, or maybe a boys uniform?"  
  
"Nope. Sorry. Our school has a lot of rules."  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"One: No dating Two: No part time jobs Three: No girls wearing the boys uniform"  
  
"Aren't you breaking the first and second rules?"  
  
"We'll keep it a secret, and honestly like they would make me dropout because I am a CEO."  
  
Keiko sweat dropped "Oh right. Hehheh."  
  
Seto began walking to Domino High, Keiko following shyly behind him.   
  
"You can't hang on me forever, if you do the teachers may suspect something."  
  
"But I am scared…."  
  
"Just be Keiko, they'll love you. Don't worry."  
  
Keiko smiled fondly at him and promised she would be herself. At that point she began skipping and singing a song in English he had never heard before.  
  
~She came out west to find the sun  
  
She lost her name but found a new one~  
  
Seto wondered about her. She had lost her name, well, at least her first one. No one would call her Keiko here. Only her last name, Crawford.  
  
~Amy goes to school all day  
  
But at night in the neighborhood they call her Amphetamine~  
  
Seto doubted the fact that she would go out alone at night and meander with all types of people, but he never put things past her.  
  
~She is perfect in that fucked up way  
  
That all the magazines seem to want to glorify these days~  
  
Seto just sweat dropped at that point. "Hit the nail on the head." ((Bardock and Yami: *nodding in agreement*))  
  
~She looks like a teenage anthem  
  
She looks like she used to be happy with the girl inside~  
  
It was common for her to love clothing from London or America that was called "Punker." He had seen people dressing like that before, and he imagined how it appealed to Keiko, who always loved standing out.  
  
~She looks so bored sometimes  
  
And she has that super pale skin and those soft green eyes~  
  
Her skin was always soft. Seto remembered her eyes always shining with some kind of emotion. Be it love, curiosity or sadness they were always beautiful.  
  
~She looks like she could have been happy in a better life  
  
She came out west just to break away clean  
  
From her family and her friends and a little girl's dream~  
  
She had left her friends, and she only had her father. Seto wondered, what it would have been like for her if she was just another girl that went to their school. Probably so much better. She'd have friends, she'd have admirers…she'd have his eye fixed on her.   
  
~All she wants to do every night  
  
Is to sit beside my window and listen to the sirens~  
  
She had wanted her room with a nice large window she could count the stars with. She had even made him sit and count with her.  
  
~She is perfect in that fucked up way  
  
That all the magazines seem to want to glorify these days  
  
She looks like a teenage anthem  
  
And she looks like she should have been happy in another life  
  
In another life~  
  
Keiko looked very happy in her own little world, skipping through the sakura blossoms on the way to school.  
  
~She came out west just to break the spell  
  
After three long years in a marriage from hell  
  
Six months clean living sober and right  
  
Her doctors tell her everything will be alright~  
  
Seto remembered something important. She was under medication, or was at some point in her life. Severe depression after everything was collapsing in her life. Her mother had been long dead, she had no friends, she was in an exchange program, five of her best friends killed in Ireland, her father dying.   
  
~Yeah, you just take your pill  
  
And everything will be alright~  
  
She had stopped taking the medication, probably after she left Los Angeles. He sighed. Seto hoped she didn't have to take them anymore.  
  
~She looks like a teenage anthem  
  
She looks like a magazine girl  
  
She looks like a teenage anthem  
  
Like she used to be happy in another world~  
  
Whatever world she was in right now, she was the happiest Seto had ever seen her in a long, long time.  
  
~She looks like a teenage anthem  
  
She is happy with the girl inside  
  
She looks like a teenage anthem  
  
And looks like she could have been happy in another life  
  
In another life  
  
Happy in another life~  
  
Seto ran to catch up with her, and smiled, well, smirked but it was close.   
  
~Met her at a party and I took her home  
  
She is the saddest girl that I have ever known  
  
She wakes up in the middle of the night  
  
Just to tell me everything will be alright  
  
Amy smiles at me and tells me everything will be alright  
  
I tell myself the same damn thing  
  
Everyday  
  
Everything will be alright~  
  
When she stopped singing, and turned around to see Seto, she apologized for being so loud.  
  
"You sing like an angel."  
  
"Ah, well I don't think so…."  
  
"But you do."  
  
"Fine." Keiko said, as she began to skip again. Seto actually smiled, a soft smile, but a smile none the less. She made her way to the classroom, and the teacher told her to wait outside the room, until he was ready to introduce her to the class.   
  
After the class had taken attendance, the teacher called for their attention.  
  
"We have a new student today. She comes from…uhhh…a lot of places."  
  
Yuugi, Ryou, Anzu, Honda and Jounouchi perked up. A new student was uncommon, so naturally there was a bit of a commotion.   
  
"This is our new student class. I think you'll all come to love her."  
  
After he finished his sentence, the door began to slowly slide open.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
FW: W00T!!! DONENESS!!!! YOU ALL HAFTA WAIT UNTIL I COME OUT WITH MY SEQUEL!!! But do not fear, there will be something from me in the meantime, but it's a surprise unless you read Una's fic Yami's Living Past. If not I recommend it! *winks* Until next time folks!  
  
MW+FW: AND HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!! *cast shoots off poppers and opens champagne* 


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